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A sensor with a wireless transmitter will alert homeowners if radon gas approaches dangerous levels.
NRC is collaborating with Carleton University to develop and test a prototype radon monitor. Left to right: Dr. Garry Tarr and PhD student Ryan Griffin of Carleton University; Heather McIntosh of the NRC Institute for Microstructural Sciences.
A new microchip sensor could make it easier for Canadians to detect radon ? a dangerous radioactive gas ' in their homes and businesses.
Researchers at NRC are collaborating with Carleton University in Ottawa to develop and test a prototype radon monitor created by Dr. Garry Tarr, a professor of engineering in the Department of Electronics at Carleton, and his graduate students.
A naturally occurring colourless, odourless radioactive gas, radon is produced by the decay of uranium in the earth's crust. When its alpha particles attach to dust and are breathed in, they pose a serious health hazard. In Canada, a recent report estimated that in 2001, lung cancers attributable to radon killed 1,589 Canadians.
Currently available commercial products can cost thousands of dollars, consist of several components, and take days or longer to obtain a reading. Dr. Tarr's prototype device, however, consists of a single silicon chip ' a metal oxide semiconductor integrated circuit, which detects alpha particles produced from the decay of ?radon daughters? or ?progeny.? The silicon integrated circuit is coupled with an electrostatic radon progeny concentrator to form a monitor that can take direct readings and detect hazardous levels of radon in about one day. Future generations of the device could bring this time down to a few hours.
Dr. Tarr estimates that the radon detector, which can be configured to the size of a coffee can, could be priced for under $100 in high volume. The NRC Institute for Microstructural Sciences has packaged the detector and integrated it with a micro-controller and wireless transmitter to allow data to be displayed remotely. The benefit to consumers will be that the sensor can communicate to a computer where a software program would gather and interpret readings on radon levels. Homeowners would be alerted to increase ventilation ' such as by opening windows in the basement, where radon can accumulate ? when radon levels exceed the safety zone. 
Wireless sensor networks for buildings
Dr. Garry Tarr's prototype radon sensor is being tested as part of a three-year project to develop wireless sensor networks for commercial buildings. One of the project's goals is to create a network of indoor air quality sensors to measure the level of pollutants ? such as formaldehyde and toluene ' and through analysis and feedback, instruct a building management system to increase the ventilation rate or initiate alarms, explains Ruth Rayman, NRC's information and communication technologies sector coordinator.
?When we learned about the work done by Dr. Tarr and his students on radon, we realized there was a great opportunity to add value to their prototype device and incorporate it into our project,? says Rayman. ?Ultimately, we would like to get this technology into the hands of Canadian companies to commercialize it.?
She says the aim is to create a wireless network for buildings equipped with a multitude of sensors that would not only be able to sense the presence of a dangerous compound, but also be aware of where occupants are relative to the danger, and make decisions on how best to reduce the hazard, such as increasing ventilation while minimizing energy consumption.
?We're also trying to expand the applications of this sensor networking platform to other industrial sectors, such as health care,? says Rayman. ?One of the potential applications could consist of sensors that detect pathogens in a hospital environment and determine the location of vulnerable patients relative to the hazard.?
