adsorbed was designed and published in the literature in 1987. There are two separate and thermally isolated beds connected to one another and the outside environment by valves. Any desorption of radon gas from the first bed will be adsorbed by the next. Valve failure would leave the system not only unable to work, but also able to release any desorption of radon back into the environment. Consequently, if this system is used, monitoring levels closely and having valve replacements on hand is critical. For this reason, charcoal is rarely used as a method of radon remediation due to the exponentially increasing rates of desorption and decreasing effects on the radon level as temperature of the given environment increases. Conversely, this temperature dependence is helpful in the resetting of the charcoal beds once removed from houses; at 100 ° C the desorption rate of radon is rapid, and the beds can quickly regenerate to be used again – an appealing aspect of this mechanism. Though the ability to regenerate this device and reuse it is an appealing aspect of the mechanism, the low temperature required for this mechanism to work makes it ultimately not a viable method of removing radon within homes, and one that has rarely been implemented.
Metal Organic Frameworks
The idea of a substance that traps the radon gas, instead of reacting with or adsorbing it, is a relatively recent concept. Metal organic frameworks( MOFs) began to be studied in the late 20th century with the potential for many chemical applications. Due to its ability for use in molecular recognition and gas storage, scientists began to study MOFs as a potential solution for radon trapping in 2008. Because radon typically only reacts through van der Waals forces, MOFs serve as a more reliable mechanism for chemically trapping radon.