Revisiting the Building Design Attributes and Indoor Radon: A Survey of 36 Homes in the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Abstract

Radon is an odorless radioactive gas that exists in the soil underneath buildings in areas that is rich in Radium and Uranium. It seeps from the soil and accumulates in the indoor environment. In 2009, radon gas has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as being carcinogenic to humans. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking in the United States. EPA recommends homeowners mitigate their houses against radon if the indoor radon concentration exceeds 4 pCi/L. Building new healthy homes while developing affordable building renovation strategies is one of the key solutions to mitigate the impacts of such environmental hazards. This research explores the relationship between building design attributes and radon gas in areas prone to higher concentrations of indoor radon. 36 homes with different age, design features, and construction materials were tested in Bowling green Kentucky, an area classified as zone 1 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Zone 1 is defined by the EPA as an area where the predicted indoor radon average is greater than 4 pCi/L. The survey also collected data about the architectural design, construction materials, structure systems, HVAC systems, and building envelope design of each house that participated in the study. The purpose is to feedback to the construction industry with potential improvements to help with the current indoor radon mitigation efforts. The results open the doors for further research needed to enhance the current building design and construction methods in areas prone to a higher concentration of indoor radon.