INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ) COMMUNITY

Radon was first discovered in 1899 by Pierre and Marie Curie, and is naturally produced by the decay of uranium & radium. Uranium has been part of our world since the earth was formed.

Radon is a difficult study. So here we are to-day with a colourless, odourless, naturally produced radioactive gas that if allowed to build high concentrations in our environments can cause lung cancer. And it’s not going away!

Radon is measured in Picocuries per litre (pCi/L) and presents no danger to life or tissue @ 0.35pCi/L. But when trapped in a building, levels as high as 20.0 pCi/L can occur and the constant  bombardment of healthy tissue by the alpha particles of radon can cause the cells to mutate into a cancerous state.

Radon occurs all over North America from the coal mines of the eastern U.S. to the Canadian Shield, from the coal producing Canadian Provinces to the areas of bed rock where uranium sits and decays. Radon usually dissipates harmlessly into the atmosphere but can also “migrate” below the earth’s surface and find its way into buildings via cracked foundations, open sump pits, foundation joints, poor seals, etc. Oddly enough — control of radon gas in an internal environment is simple. Ventilate. The most effective method is:

• to place a duct inlet below the foundation floor level of the building (seal the joint at the floor)
• Lead the duct to the atmosphere and
• have an inline fan (Fantech FR110) that is energized 24/7, thus creating a negative pressure below the floor level & drawing off the gas before it can penetrate the cracks & joints.

One other method is to install an HRV (Fantech SHR/VHR) at a slight positive pressure imbalance thus creating a positive pressure with-in the building & “holding the gas back” so it cannot enter. Either way, sealing of all the building joints below grade is most important. Testing for Radon is a simple method and there is tons of information on the internet at www.radondetect.ca. This could be a huge opportunity to boost sales in a tough economy.

I have been under a reasonable amount of stress lately, (let’s face it, who hasn’t) and in evaluating what was needed to control or at least minimize it and its effects, it occurred to me that to think clearly on the subject the #1 requirement should be a reasonably oxygenated brain. Sounds kind of silly doesn’t it?

Actually not! If you consider that the average work place is designed on “Exhaust Ventilation” (which is a ventilation system based on exhaust fans sucking out enough air to allow the influx of an equivalent amount of fresh oxygenated air to infiltrate the building — right!) then it’s not too far of a stretch to realize that a BRAIN with a build up of CARBON DIOXDE does not function as it should.

• Does not make decisions as it should,
• does not evaluate criteria as it should,
• does not reason as it should, and
• just basically wants to go to sleep instead of being used.

So after being subjected to poorly oxygenated air for 6 – 7 hours of the day, by 3 pm the brain starts getting groggy and can’t seem to “think” its way out of the stressful situations at work. (That’s me!) So why does the Ventilation Guide allow for “Exhaust Only Ventilation”? It worked back when it was designed because buildings were as loose as, “a clap board driving shed built for three horses and a couple of surreys.” To-day, even the “loose” buildings are tight enough to retard the progression of an exhaust only system. The stress just seems to overwhelm you around 2:30 – 3 o’clock in the afternoon. So why don’t we just open a window or “boot-up” the Economizer?

Eee—Gads, man, that costs money. But guess what! So does a bunch of stressed out, confused, dopey, tired CO2 laden brains. Not to mention (watch how this ties in!) the negative pressure in the building will aid in the increase of subsoil Radon entering the building structure from cracks, joints and fissures in the foundation floor & walls.

So I head outside & get a good dose of fresh air and feel refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day – and you know what? Those “stressful” little things just seem to fall into place, just as they should. So you head home at the end of the day, plant your seat and your feet, relax – eat a good meal, collapse in front of the tube, and begin to breathe the CO2 laden air that has plagued your house since four weeks before the advent of the New Year. And on we go.

The cost to reheat just 20 cfm of fresh air brought into your dwelling is equal to 20 x 70 (air temp difference) x 1.08 (correction factor to standard air density) x the cost of N.G. /per cubic foot.

• 20 cubic feet of fresh air @ 0 ° F would require 20 x 70 x 1.08 = 1540 BTU of heat to bring it to 70 °F

Since we are introducing a small amount of fresh air into a much larger amount of existing warm air, the actual load on a heating system or dwelling is almost negligible. A four inch (4”) intake pipe ducted into the farthest end of the return air (as far from the air handler as possible) will allow enough fresh air into the building to offset the buildup of gases (methane is also a big one). It can have a manual adjustment damper in it to control the incoming cold air during extreme cold weather. It will also help dry the interior air by lowering the RH.

So I’m asked, “Does this not go against everything you preach about HRVs and ventilation?” To some extent yes, BUT – it’s also a low cost practical solution to an age old problem. Fresh air for Health, Welfare & oxygen for that lump of grey matter stuck in the top of our heads. Breathe deep & keep it working to the max.