Assessment of soil gas radon migration and transport through the estimation of radon diffusion length and diffusion coefficient in the soil matrix

Naturally occurring radioactive gas, radon is a decay product of radium present in the soil. Radon flux reaches the atmosphere through exhalation from soil surface. This study aims to estimate the radon diffusion length and diffusion coefficient in soil matrix on the premises of HNB Garhwal University campus at Tehri Garhwal, India. Soil gas radon concentration was measured at different depths (15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 cm) using a Smart RnDuo (Scintillation-detector) at 14 different locations in the university campus. Simultaneous measurement of surface and mass exhalation rates was also carried out for each location. Gamma-ray spectrometry was used to estimate the radium content in soil samples. Results of the present study suggest that soil gas radon concentration increases with increasing sampling depth. The diffusion coefficient and length were calculated using the soil gas radon concentration gradient within the soil matrix. The average value of diffusion length ( l ) and diffusion coefficient ( D ) were obtained as, l s = 0.70 ± 0.22 m, D s = 0.0054 ± 0.0049 m 2 sec -1 and l a = 0.77 ± 0.63 m, D a = 0.0073 ± 0.014 m 2 sec -1 by Fick’s diffusion model and analytic models, respectively.