Investigation on the Radon Emanation for Domestic Gypsum Boards

Abstract

The present study investigates radon emissions from commercial gypsum boards currently available on the domestic market in order to provide accurate information to the public. Gypsum boards that have been manufactured domestically since 2012 were used for the study. Measurements and analyses were performed using the closed-container method with Nuclear Track Detectors (NRSa), which are long-term passive measuring devices. Of the 19 containers used, 2 were used as background concentration, without inserting samples. The average concentration of radon within the air of the enclosed container was measured as 28.5 Bq/m³, and the maximum concentration was 132.0 Bq/m³. It was found that the radon emission per unit area of the gypsum boards was 0.0223 ± 0.0258 mBq/m²Â·h and the emission per unit weight was 0.0037± 0.0046 mBq/kg·h. Gypsum boards manufactured over a three-year period, from 2012 to 2014, were categorized by one-year terms, and the difference in the radon emission according to the year of manufacture was examined. It was found that three years of continuous radon emission from building materials did not cause a natural decrease in the radon exhalation rate. It was also found that there is no difference in the radon exhalation rate caused by the characteristics of the gypsum boards, that is, by general or waterproof gypsum boards.