waterborne radon

[Field@amrf-po.pmeh.uiowa.edu]

             Radon is a noble gas.  Except for unusual situations
          where clathrates are formed, it does not combine or form
          complexes with other chemicals.  The issue of solubility is
          relative.  Radon is soluble in liquids and solids (fatty
          tissues). For example, radon is more soluble in mineral oil
          than water.  It is soluble in water, but would prefer to be
          airborne.  That is why you do not find radon in surface
          water, altough you may find it in well water.  Radon can
          also emanate from radium in water distribution systems that
          have significant deposits of radium adsorbed to the pipe
          scale.  Nevertheless, if you have a glass of water sitting
          on a table with 1,000 pCi/L in the evening; you will be hard
          pressed to detect it in the morning.

          R. William Field
          University of Iowa

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>>> schoenho@via.at 12/02/96 15:55 >>>
 you wrote:

Radon-222 is not easily soluble in water, so rather radon
progeny is washed
out by rain and deposited on the ground.


I'm not sure what you mean by 'not easily soluble', but
according to CRC, Radon is soluble in water at 22.4 to  51
cc per 100 ml. I remember that one of the places where
indoor Rn sampling should not be done was in laundry
rooms because there is a quite high Rn spike in air from Rn
coming out of solution in the wash.