Composition for impregnating building materials to decrease their radon permeability

Abstract The World Health Organization recognizes radon ( 222 Rn) as a gas that poses a serious health hazard. It is important to protect dwellings from this radioactive noble gas in radon-affected areas that are found almost all around the globe. This aim can be achieved by making foundations and basement slabs impermeable to gases. Different solutions to this problem have been proposed and implemented, but they are still far from being perfect. We investigated other possible solutions through conducting experiments and analyzing their results. Our final finding is a sealing composition resulting from the interaction between polyethylhydride siloxane and alkyltriethoxysilane hydrolysate. Various amounts for applying the composition to the sample surface have been considered. Surface treatment of concrete, gypsum and cement with the developed sealant is carried out by distributing the compositions over the surface by spraying methods or by manual application with a brush or roller. The device to measure the gas impermeability of the treated samples has been developed. This study presents the potential for utilizing it as an affordable new sealant for impregnating cement, concrete and gypsum, reducing their radon permeability by up to 99%.