Automatic system for continuous monitoring of indoor air quality and remote data transmission under smart_rad_en project

In September 2016, the SMART-RAD-EN Project was launched, funded by the Competitiveness Operational Programme 2014-2020 of Romania, to be developed up to the year 2020. The ambitious overall objective is focus on to the concept of "smart city" in terms of intelligent integrated solutions, which it aims to achieve in international premiere, in order to improve public health by increasing indoor environmental quality and optimizing the energy efficiency of housing in five urban areas of Romania. In this study, the current status of the development of the prototype system for continuous monitoring and remote data transmission on radon levels and other household air pollutants (CO2, CO, VOCs and temperature, pressure and humidity sensors) is presented, as an important objective in the frame of the SMART_RAD_EN project. The prototype for intelligent monitoring system was assembled and now is involved in the testing process. Metrology and quality assurance of the prototype system will be carried out within accredited European laboratories and by consulting with the international scientific experts. Remote data transmitted will allow: (1) real time interactive visualization, of the impact of user behavior on indoor air quality; (2) information in case of exceeding threshold levels; (3) to produce estimates of future pollution as a result of the correlation with the meteorological parameters (temperature, pressure and humidity) and user activity. The system, metrological validated, will be implemented in 100 houses with high exposure to radon and other ambient pollutants from the main Romanian urban agllomerations ? Cluj-Napoca, Bucuresti, Timisoara, Iasi and Sibiu

Indoor radon related with the geology in romanian urban agglomerations (cluj-napoca)

Radon is a natural radioactive gas that occurs due to the radioactive decay of radium (226Ra) present in rocks which, in turn, cames from the radioactive decay of uranium (238U), a primordial natural element. Along with factors such as porosity, permeability and humidity of the rocks and soils, pressure and temperature, geology setting plays one of the most important roles in the release of radon into the environment. Depending on the mineralogical compositions and characteristics of the bedrock from a certain area, a higher or lower concentration of radioactive minerals can be found in the rocks, which will directly influence the level of radon in the atmosphere, implicitly the concentration of radon measured in houses. In this study, a six months concentration of radon (222Rn) was assessed in 256houses from Cluj-Napoca area using CR-39 nuclear track detectors. Correlations between the indoor radon levels and the geological setting was further analyzed. The aim is to better understand the influence of geology on the concentration of radon levels in homes, in order to further identify other risk areas in terms of exposure to radon. Further investigation is needed on other factors influencing the accumulation of radon in high concentrations indoor, such as ventilation, occupation patterns or constructive and architectural features for typical houses. Therefore, the results of this work are considered to be important for indoor radon management in Romania

First Steps towards a National Approach for Radon Survey in Romanian Schools

Schools are a category of public buildings with a high radon exposure risk, due to their high occupancy factor. In Romania, the elaboration of a methodology for radon measurements in schools is a necessity imposed both by the European legislation and by the relatively high percentage (about 10%) of the mapped territory with a potential increased risk of exposure to the action of ionizing radiation emitted by radon. In order to optimize the design of a national survey aimed to evaluate radon exposure of children in Romanian schools, we conducted a pilot study in two schools in Cluj-Napoca, following the screening measurements carried out in 109 schools and kindergartens from five counties. The specific steps that must be followed were described, taking into account the international protocols and particularities of Romanian territory. The proposed approach could act as a guide for other large buildings and is implicit for the implementation of National Radon Action Plan, approved by HG no. 526/12 July 2018 in accordance with Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM. The obtained results indicate that a high probability of annual radon concentration above the national reference level is to be expected in schools