Phosphogypsum as an alternative building material: preliminary modeling and simulation of radon-222 exhalation from blocks and indoor accumulation

Phosphogypsum is a by-product from the phosphate fertilizer industry and its large-scale utilization as an alternative construction material copes with radiological issues related to radon-222. Zero-order models for radon-222 exhalation from phosphogypsum building blocks and its time-varying accumulation in closed domains (e.g. indoor accumulation) presume homogeneous distribution of radon-222 throughout the enclosure. Having in mind radiological protection design, exhalation characterization of a block sample is a valuable parameter for the corresponding building performance simulation and it can be accomplished by placing a test block inside a test chamber together with a suitable nuclear detector (their relative positioning depends on the chamber geometry). As breakdown of the uniform concentration hypothesis is likely to occur, this preliminary work numerically investigates such model oversimplification. Along with emanation and decay processes, the present mathematical model assumes time-dependent two-dimensional diffusion-dominant mass transfer in a domain containing a sample of porous material, namely the phosphogypsum block of finite thickness. Conversely, as the test chamber is quite small and air-tight closed, convective mass transfer is neglected. Numerically simulated results have confirmed that a non-uniform radon-222 distribution takes place, which can obviously influence the position of the nuclear detector (or its primary element), thus affecting its readings. (author)