A new technique to measure in situ soil gas permeability

• A new device for in situ measurement of soil gas permeability has been developed.
• It has been tested against RADON JOK, a permeameter broadly used all over the world.
• The new device provides rapid responses and is easy to carry in the field.
• It extends the upper detection limit of RADON JOK.
• It may be used in the evaluation of gas hazard and volatile pollutants remediation.

Intrinsic permeability is crucial to assess gases and volatile compounds transport through soil. In situ measurements of this parameter are based on Darcy equation, an empirical relation that describes the flow of a fluid through a porous medium. A new technique for in situ measurement of soil gas permeability was developed and deeply tested in several terrains. The new instrument was successfully calibrated against RADON JOK, a permeameter which is widely employed all over the world. The new device provides rapid responses and is easy to carry in the field. It can be employed in the range of 3 × 10− 13–8.0 × 10− 11 m2, extending the upper detection limit of RADON JOK (1.8 × 10− 11). Its use is recommended to investigate radon and other gas transfer through the soil and to map radon or CO2 potentials of a given site. It could be also employed in environmental studies where the transfer of volatile pollutants is of primary concern.