Time-Averaged Indoor Radon Concentrations and Infiltration RatesSampled in Four U.S. Cities

Indoor radon concentrations, measured in 58 houses over a four to five month period during the winter and spring of 1981-1982, varied from 0.1 to 16 pCi 1{sup -1} (4-590 Bq m{sup -3}). Average infiltration rates were determined for each house over the same period, based on a measurement of the effective leakage area and an infiltration model, and found to range from 0.2 to 2.2 air changes per hour (hr{sup -1}). Indoor radon concentrations correlated poorly with infiltration rates for houses within each city as well as for the entire sample. Differences in radon entry rates among houses thus appear to be more important than differences in infiltration rates in determining whether a house has high indoor radon levels, consistent with previous indications from grab-sample measurements. Radon entry rates and indoor radon concentrations were generally higher in houses in Fargo, ND and Colorado Springs, CO than in houses in Portland, ME and Charleston, NC