Radon from drinking water — evaluation of water-borne transfer into house air

To determine the transfer of²²²Rn from domestic water into air, nine houses were measured for²²²Rnt, house volume, water use and air exchange by SF₆ and radon. Measurements were done in Maine during April and May, 1986, when sealed up for the winter. Radon in water concentration ranged from 35,000 to 1,250,000 pCi/l. Air peaks of²²²Rn ranged from 13 to 200 pCi/l due to a water use burst experiment. Use of water filters was also examined by repeats with filters on and off. Water use ranged from 200 to 1922 litres/day. House volumes ranged from 380 to 999 m³. Air exchange rates measured by SF₆ was twice as large as air exchange rate measured by²²²Rn.