Radon, atmospheric pressure, and temperature monitoring of a ‘breathing well’ in Alberta
TA Morais, S Verma, EL Eldridge, MC Ryan
In the proceedings of: GeoSaskatoon 2023: 76th Canadian Geotechnical ConferenceSession: Contaminant Transport
ABSTRACT: Radon in indoor air is a leading cause of lung cancer, but geogenic sources and transport pathways are poorly understood. An 11-day monitoring program in a 'breathing' water well near a building with elevated indoor Rn concentrations ([Rn]) showed consistent variations between downhole [Rn] and atmospheric pressure over four cycles. Peak [Rn] of > 60,000 Bq/m3 (compared to an indoor air health guideline of 200 Bq/m3) were observed during periods with sustained decreases in PATM. The major gas species composition of daily grab samples showed two endmembers, with a high [Rn] end member associated with elevated CO2 and Ar (and decreased O2 and CH4) concentrations. Fugitive gas migration is commonly recognized in oil and gas wells, where deep, free phase methane gas migrates upwards along pathways outside the well (i.e., in the well annulus). Water well drilling and completion may similarly provide a gas migration pathway for deeper sources of radon gas.
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Morais, TA, Verma, S, Eldridge, EL, Ryan, MC (2023) Radon, atmospheric pressure, and temperature monitoring of a ‘breathing well’ in Alberta in GEO2023. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.
@inproceedings{Morais_GEO2023_83,
author = {{Morais, TA}, {Verma, S}, {Eldridge, EL}, {Ryan, MC}}
title = {Radon, atmospheric pressure, and temperature monitoring of a ‘breathing well’ in Alberta}
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 76th Canadian Geotechnical Conference}
year = {2023}
organization = {The Canadian Geotechnical Society},
address = {Ottawa, Canada} }
title = {Radon, atmospheric pressure, and temperature monitoring of a ‘breathing well’ in Alberta}
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 76th Canadian Geotechnical Conference}
year = {2023}
organization = {The Canadian Geotechnical Society},
address = {Ottawa, Canada} }