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

A Survey of Physical Parameters and Natural Radioactivity in the Wooden Church of “Archangels Mihail and Gavril,” Draghia

The aim of this chapter is to present information about the current environmental survey conducted in a wooden church in Draghia, Maramures County, Romania. The wooden church “Archangels Michael and Gavril” was built in 1706 and is registered as a category A historical monument in the national heritage. A mural painting of popular bills, in a precarious state of preservation, can be observed inside the church. A study was performed to analyze the correlation between the indoor/outdoor climatic parameters and degree of degradation in mural paintings. Additionally, an indoor radon screening was carried out in order to assess the potential exposure for workers and public. One of the most important environmental problems is the global climate change and its impact on the historical monuments in their natural space of conservation. The obtained results highlight how dangerous the climate can be in the long term regarding the state of conservation of the mural paintings inside the wooden church located in a natural environment

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