Residential radon exposure and esophageal cancer. An ecological study from an area with high indoor radon concentration (Galicia, Spain)

2014 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Ruano-Ravina ◽  
Nuria Aragonés ◽  
Mónica Pérez-Ríos ◽  
Gonzalo López-Abente ◽  
Juan M. Barros-Dios
2020 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 05003
Author(s):  
Torben Valdbjørn Rasmussen ◽  
Thomas Cornelius

A method is presented for theoretically estimating the necessary airtightness of a radon barrier. Radon barriers are used to balance the indoor radon concentration. To balance radon at an acceptable level, for a given ventilation rate for indoor air, a barrier must fulfil the requirements for airtightness and the indoor-air radon penetration from the soil, which is determined by the radon concentration in the soil gas. The method identifies the optimal radon barrier for a building. Ten different radon barriers are evaluated. Barriers include system solutions based on materials such as bitumen-based radon blockers, wet-room membranes, reinforced fix mortar pastes, and polyethylene membranes. The barriers are tested using a modified version of the test method NBI 167/02 radon membrane: test of airtightness. The radon barriers are evaluated for a typical building construction for a single-family house with radon exposure from the ground. An acceptable radon concentration of 100 Bq/m3 in indoor air is used in combination with a number of higher radon levels. The different radon barriers are evaluated in accordance with their ability to prevent air penetration from the ground. Furthermore, how mounting a barrier can affect the durability of a building is discussed, as the measures may create a far more vulnerable building.


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 53-60
Author(s):  
Hien Thi To ◽  
Nguyen Thao Nguyen ◽  
Huy Huu Duong

Radon is a naturally radioactive gas , but it causes lung cancer to humans. The risk of lung cancer due to radiation depends on the amount of radon inhalation and radon exposure time. In Vietnam, radon concentrations are usually determined by RAD7, however RAD7 just showed the immediate values of radon, and have to regularly calibrate it. The construction process to determine the accumulates indoor radon concentration by detector CR- 39 in order to be widely used in the study of environmental pollution, especially the study of health risks of radon for humans and mapping radon pollution. Detector CR - 39 is placed in a 7 cm - plastic holder, and in exposure time, the holders were covered with glass fiber filter paper ∅ 47mm on the bottom of the detector to avoid the exposure of dust. Then it is hung in the indoor location as Vietnam Standard 7889:2008. After 3 months, holders are returned to a laboratory, and CR - 39 will be soaked in 6M NaOH at 700C. Indoor radon concentrations will be proportional to the density traces obtained on CR-39. The study uses an radium 226 source of the NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) with the released radon coefficient : f = 0.891 ± 0.015. Results show the calibration factor K is 4.533 ± 0.218 [(Bq.m-3. day)]/(tracks / CR-39)]. Using K factor, we can determine the cumulative indoor radon concentration.


1994 ◽  
Vol 56 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Bochicchio ◽  
G. Campos-Venuti ◽  
C. Nuccetelli ◽  
S. Piermattei ◽  
S. Risica ◽  
...  

Abstract One of the most important goals of the Italian survey, initiated in 1989, was to promote ad hoc policies to reduce radon exposure of the population. In the survey a statistical representative sample of 5000 dwellings was chosen; two six-month measurements were made of the indoor radon concentration, in combination with one six month measurement of gamma exposure. The results of the radon concentration measurements are reported here they refer to 80% of the sample. The annual mean value was 81.5 Bq.m-3, which is higher than the reported for other industrialised countries. The survey was widely accepted by the families and provided an opportunity to collect information on families and their habits, as well as on the characteristics of the dwellings. The data will make it possible to evaluate the number of houses above a given level. It is up to the political authorities to define such a level on the basis of these data and the economic and social factors.


Nukleonika ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilia V. Yarmoshenko ◽  
Georgy P. Malinovsky

Abstract The association between the lung cancer and indoor radon exposure in Russian population was investigated. The average indoor radon concentration for each region was estimated using the annual reports issued by the Saint-Petersburg Ramzaev Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene for the period 2008–2013. The average standardized lung cancer mortalities among males and females were estimated using the reports of the Moscow Hertzen Cancer Research Institute for the period 2008–2012. The relative risk (RR) was estimated as a ratio between the average mortality within seven exposure intervals and background mortality. The slope factors of linear dependence between the indoor radon exposure and lung cancer RR are 0.026 (−0.11÷0.17) and 0.83 (0.52–1.12) per radon concentration 100 Bq/m3 for males and females, respectively (with 90% confidence interval). The obtained results can be explained by the confounding effect of tobacco smoking. Significant excess risk of lung cancer in female population can be associated with radon exposure and low prevalence of smoking.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min-jin Kim ◽  
Sang-su An ◽  
Min-cheol Cho ◽  
Se-il Park ◽  
Jong-min Kim ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Dicu ◽  
B. D. Burghele ◽  
M. Botoş ◽  
A. Cucoș ◽  
G. Dobrei ◽  
...  

AbstractThe present study aims to identify novel means of increasing the accuracy of the estimated annual indoor radon concentration based on the application of temporal correction factors to short-term radon measurements. The necessity of accurate and more reliable temporal correction factors is in high demand, in the present age of speed. In this sense, radon measurements were continuously carried out, using a newly developed smart device accompanied by CR-39 detectors, for one full year, in 71 residential buildings located in 5 Romanian cities. The coefficient of variation for the temporal correction factors calculated for combinations between the start month and the duration of the measurement presented a low value (less than 10%) for measurements longer than 7 months, while a variability close to 20% can be reached by measurements of up to 4 months. Results obtained by generalized estimating equations indicate that average temporal correction factors are positively associated with CO2 ratio, as well as the interaction between this parameter and the month in which the measurement took place. The impact of the indoor-outdoor temperature differences was statistically insignificant. The obtained results could represent a reference point in the elaboration of new strategies for calculating the temporal correction factors and, consequently, the reduction of the uncertainties related to the estimation of the annual indoor radon concentration.


2006 ◽  
Vol 119 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 434-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. S. K. Khokhar ◽  
R. S. Kher ◽  
V. B. Rathore ◽  
T. V. Ramachandran

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Otoo ◽  
E.O. Darko ◽  
M. Garavaglia ◽  
C. Giovani ◽  
S. Pividore ◽  
...  

Indoor radon concentration for annual, rainy and dry season have been studied in 228 buildings which includes bedroom, kitchen, sitting room, laboratories and offices in Accra metropolis of Greater Accra of Ghana. The passive radon CR-39 SSNTD was used for this study. The cumulative frequency distribution, normalizing Q-Q plots, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk statistical test showed that the result of both workplaces and dwellings are not normally distributed. The strong positive correlation between the two seasons occurred at 95% confidence level with 2 tailed. The rainy season recorded highest coefficient variation of r2 = 0.982. Statistical analysis of median (39.3), AM (103.4), GM (57.9) and GSD (3.2) for rainy season were greater than that of the dry season of median (26.9), AM (88.2), GM (49.2) and GSD (2.8) respectively. Rainy season was found to contain high radon concentrations than the dry season for all the studied locations. In general, workplace had radon concentration far greater than dwellings. The results obtained from this study ranged between 13.6 to 533.7 Bq/m3, out of which 9.6%, 12.7% and 3.5% were found to be greater than action levels proposed by WHO, EC and ICRP.


Atmosphere ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Joan Frédéric Rey ◽  
Stéphane Goyette ◽  
Mauro Gandolla ◽  
Martha Palacios ◽  
Fabio Barazza ◽  
...  

Radon is a natural and radioactive gas that can accumulate in indoor environments. Indoor radon concentration (IRC) is influenced, among other factors, by meteorology, which is the subject of this paper. Weather parameters impact indoor radon levels and have already been investigated, but rarely in Switzerland. Moreover, there is a strong need for a better understanding of the radon behaviour inside buildings in Switzerland for public health concerns as Switzerland is a radon prone area. Based on long-term, continuous, and hourly radon measurements, radon distributions classified according to different weather event definitions were investigated and then compared at three different study sites in Western Switzerland. Outdoor temperature influences the most indoor radon, and it is globally anti-correlated. Wind influences indoor radon, but it strongly depends on intensity, direction, and building characteristics. Precipitation influences periodically indoor radon levels relatively to their intensity. Atmospheric pressure and relative humidity do not seem to be huge determinants on IRC. Our results are in line with previous findings and provide a vivid example in Western Switzerland. This paper underlines the different influence complexities of radon, and the need to communicate about it within the broader public and with construction professionals, to raise awareness.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document