Preliminary Survey of Indoor Radon Concentrations in Portuguese Houses from High Natural Radioactivity Regions

Abstract The exploration of uranium ore started in Portugal at the beginning of the century, firstly for the extraction of radium and later for uranium. Radium processing wastes, uranium tailings, and their possible use in buildings contribute significantly to the enhancement of radon levels. A screening survey of indoor radon concentrations is initiated in houses from the granitic region of Beira Alta, in particular in the surroundings of an abandoned radium salts factory, near the mine and chemical treatment installations of Urgeirica, and the town of Guarda. Passive detectors are exposed for periods of one to two months. The preliminary results of this survey programme are presented and discussed. Indoor levels up to the order of 3 x 103 Bq.m-3 have been detected at Urgeirica as well as near the old radium salts factory at Barracao. These concentrations are compared with results for houses from the town of Guarda and also for some houses from the region of Lisbon.

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The Empirical Bayesian Regression Kriging (EBRK) to map the Geogenic Radon Potential (GRP). A case of study from the Euganean Hills (Italy).

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-10304 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chiara Coletti ◽

Giancarlo Ciotoli ◽

Eleonora Benà ◽

Erika Brattich ◽

Giorgia Cinelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Radioactivity ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Living Environment ◽

Bayesian Regression ◽

Soil Gas ◽

Regression Kriging ◽

Empirical Bayesian ◽

Soil Gas Radon ◽

Radon Potential ◽

Radon Concentrations

In the volcanic area of the Euganean Hills district (100 km2), the indoor radon often exceeds the threshold level of 300 Bq/m3 stipulated by the Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom, thus suggesting the need to investigate the possible link between observed radon concentrations and the local geology (Trotti et al., 1998,1999; Strati et al., 2014). More recently, statistical and geostatistical analysis on rock samples identified high U, Th and K concentrations associated with areas characterised by trachyte and rhyolite lithologies (Tositti et al., 2017). With this contribution, we completed our investigation on the natural radioactivity in the Euganean Hills district extending the rocks dataset, performing on-site soil gas survey, and considering other important factors which can locally increase the radon occurrence, such as hydrothermal alterations, types of soils (e.g., geochemistry or presence of organic matters), and faults. Furthermore, we elaborated a Geogenic Radon Potential map to assess the local spatial relationships between the measured soil gas radon concentrations and seven proxy-variables: fault density (FD), total gamma radiation dose (TGDR), 220Rn (Tn), digital terrain mode (SLOPE), moisture index (MI), heat load index (HLI) and soil permeability (PERM). Empirical Bayesian Regression Kriging (EBRK) was used to develop the most accurate hazard map of the considered area, thus, providing the local administration an up-to-date decisional tool for the land use planning. For the high radon emission measured, the high density of dwelling, and its geomorphological features, the Euganean Hills district represented a very meaningful case of study. &#160;&#160;Trotti, F., Tanferi, A., Lanciai, M., Mozzo, P., Panepinto, V., Poli, S., Predicatori, F., Righetti, F., Tacconi, A., Zorzine, R., 1998. Mapping of areas with elevated indoor radon levels in Veneto. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 78 (1), 11&#8211;14.Trotti, F., Tanferi, A., Bissolo, F., Fustegato, R., Lanciai, M., Mozzo, P., Predicatori, F., Querini, P., Righetti, F., Tacconi, A., 1999. A Survey to Map Areas with Elevated Indoor Radon Levels in Veneto, Radon in the Living Environment, 19-23 April 1999, Athens, Greece, 859&#8211;868.Strati V., Baldoncini M., Bezzon G.P, Broggini C., Buso G.P., Caciolli A., Callegari I., Carmignani L, Colonna T, Fiorentini G., Guastaldi E., Ka&#231;eli Xhixhaf M., Mantovani F, Menegazzo R., Moub L., Rossi Alvarez C., Xhixha G., Zanon A., 2014. Total natural radioactivity, Veneto (Italy). Journal of Maps, Vol. 11, Issue 4, 545&#8211;551. http://doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2014.923348.Tositti L., Cinelli G., Brattich E., Galgaro A., Mostacci D., Mazzoli C., Massironi M., Sassi R., 2017. Assessment of lithogenic radioactivity in the Euganean Hills magmatic district (NE Italy). J. Environ. Radioact. 166, 259&#8211;269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.07.011

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Measurement of indoor radon concentrations in Kuwait

Environment International ◽

10.1016/0160-4120(87)90187-5 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 13 (4-5) ◽

pp. 323-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Adel A. Mustafa ◽

C.M. Vasisht ◽

J. Sabol

Keyword(s):

Indoor Radon ◽

Radon Concentrations

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A preliminary survey of natural radionuclides in soil and indoor radon in the town of Niš, Serbia

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry ◽

10.1007/s10967-021-07851-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Vesna Manić ◽

Goran Manić ◽

Miloš Stojanović ◽

Branko Radojković ◽

Dragana Krstić ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Indoor Radon ◽

Natural Radionuclides ◽

Preliminary Survey ◽

The Town

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Radiological Assessment of Indoor Radon and Thoron Concentrations and Indoor Radon Map of Dwellings in Mashhad, Iran

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18010141 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 141

Author(s):

Mohammademad Adelikhah ◽

Amin Shahrokhi ◽

Morteza Imani ◽

Stanislaw Chalupnik ◽

Tibor Kovács

Keyword(s):

Limit Of Detection ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Absolute Error ◽

Soil Gas ◽

Indoor Radon Concentration ◽

Soil Gas Radon ◽

Distance Weighting ◽

The City ◽

Monitoring Devices ◽

Radon Concentrations

A comprehensive study was carried out to measure indoor radon/thoron concentrations in 78 dwellings and soil-gas radon in the city of Mashhad, Iran during two seasons, using two common radon monitoring devices (NRPB and RADUET). In the winter, indoor radon concentrations measured between 75 ± 11 to 376 ± 24 Bq·m−3 (mean: 150 ± 19 Bq m−3), whereas indoor thoron concentrations ranged from below the Lower Limit of Detection (LLD) to 166 ± 10 Bq·m−3 (mean: 66 ± 8 Bq m−3), while radon and thoron concentrations in summer fell between 50 ± 11 and 305 ± 24 Bq·m−3 (mean 115 ± 18 Bq m−3) and from below the LLD to 122 ± 10 Bq m−3 (mean 48 ± 6 Bq·m−3), respectively. The annual average effective dose was estimated to be 3.7 ± 0.5 mSv yr−1. The soil-gas radon concentrations fell within the range from 1.07 ± 0.28 to 8.02 ± 0.65 kBq·m−3 (mean 3.07 ± 1.09 kBq·m−3). Finally, indoor radon maps were generated by ArcGIS software over a grid of 1 × 1 km2 using three different interpolation techniques. In grid cells where no data was observed, the arithmetic mean was used to predict a mean indoor radon concentration. Accordingly, inverse distance weighting (IDW) was proven to be more suitable for predicting mean indoor radon concentrations due to the lower mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE). Meanwhile, the radiation health risk due to the residential exposure to radon and indoor gamma radiation exposure was also assessed.

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THE RESULTS OF MEASURING AND MODELLING SOIL-INDOORS RADON TRANSPORTATION / RADONO PERNAŠOS IŠ DIRVOŽEMIO Į PATALPAS MATAVIMO IR MODELIAVIMO REZULTATAI

Mokslas - Lietuvos ateitis ◽

10.3846/mla.2013.62 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 388-396 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Erika Streckytė ◽

Donatas Butkus

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Summer Season ◽

Monitoring Device ◽

Volumetric Activity ◽

Indoor Temperature ◽

Radon Gas ◽

Radon Monitoring ◽

Radon Concentrations

The article presents the entry of radon gas into premises and introduces the parameters accelerating and slowing this process. The paper determines the dependence of radon gas entering the premises on ambient temperature and humidity changes. It is noted that a growth in differences under ambient and indoor temperature increases indoor radon concentrations in the air due to an increase in the intensity of radon exhalation from soil. Also, an increase in the moisture content indoors decreases the volumetric activity of radon in the air. The simulated values of radon volumetric activity in ambient air were similar to those measured using radon monitoring device RTM2200. Radon concentration in the air of the first floor was higher than that in the second floor. Indoor radon concentrations were highest in the winter and lowest in summer season. Article in Lithuanian. Santrauka Nagrinėjama radono dujų patekimo į patalpas procesas, šį procesą spartinantys ir lėtinantys parametrai. Nustatoma radono dujų patekimo į patalpas priklausomybė nuo aplinkos temperatūros bei drėgnio kitimo. Pastebėta, kad, didėjant aplinkos ir patalpos temperatūrų skirtumui, didėja ir radono tūrinis aktyvumas patalpos ore (vasarą radono tūrinis aktyvumas siekė 45,0±3,0 Bq/m3, kai temperatūrų skirtumas buvo 3,1 °C, o rudenį – 62,0±5,0 Bq/m3, esant temperatūrų skirtumui 3,9 °C), didėja radono ekshaliacijos iš dirvožemio intensyvumas, o didėjant drėgmės kiekiui patalpose radono tūrinis aktyvumas ore mažėja. Sumodeliuotos radono tūrinio aktyvumo patalpos ore reikšmės buvo panašios kaip ir išmatuotos naudojant radono monitorių RTM2200. Pirmajame aukšte radono tūrinis aktyvumas ore buvo didesnis nei antrajame. Žiemos sezonu jo vertė buvo didžiausia (47,0±10,5 Bq/m3), o vasaros sezonu – mažiausia (15±1,8 Bq/m3).

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