EXPOSURE LEVELS OF UKRAINIAN POPULATION IN THE CONTEXT OF AN ACTION PLAN TO REDUCE INDOOR RADON LEVELS

Objective. To analyze and evaluate the available information to indoor radon concentration in the context of the implementation of the radon action plan. Methods. Object of study: indoor radon-222 in dwellings by area and corresponding radiation risks of the population. Measurements were performed using passive track radonometry. The exposure time of the radonometers is at least 30 days during heating season. Radiation risk calculations were performed according to the dose coefficients and mathematical models of the ICRP. Results. It was found that for the whole country, reference level 300 Bq/m3 (radon gas) is exceeded in 16 % of cases. It was found that geometric mean of radon gas levels was 120 Bq/m3 and varies from 35 to 265 Bq/m3 by different area, namely the difference between radon levels in different territories of the country can be up to 7.5 times. Variability of radon levels at the district level is also significant. It was found, radon activity concentration differing by almost 10 times by districts with lognormal distribution and a geometric mean of 75 Bq/m3. The analysis of radiation risks of the population has established that estimated annual number of lung cancer deaths due to radon in Ukraine is almost 8,900 cases; and а direct economic loss for the country are estimated at more than $ 450 million a year. Conclusions. Surveys of radon levels demonstrated significant variation in radon concentrations between different regions. For the whole country, reference level (300 Bq/m3) is exceeded on above 16 % of the dwellings, but percentage of exceeding varies from 0.1 to 43.0 % by different area. Information on indoor radon concentrations in almost a third of the country is non-available. For an effective implementation of the Action plan, it makes sense to introduce radon risk mapping. Key words: indoor radon, reference level, population, radiation risk, economic cost.

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Short-Term Measurement of Indoor Radon Concentration in Northern Croatia

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app10072341 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 2341 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anita Ptiček Siročić ◽

Davor Stanko ◽

Nikola Sakač ◽

Dragana Dogančić ◽

Tomislav Trojko

Keyword(s):

Radon Concentration ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Construction Materials ◽

Health Issues ◽

Short Term ◽

Indoor Radon Concentration ◽

Ground Floor ◽

Northern Croatia ◽

Radon Concentrations

(1) Background: Radon concentrations in the environment are generally very low. However, radon concentrations can be high indoors and can cause some serious health issues. The main source of indoor radon (homes, buildings and other residential objects) can be soil under the house, while other sources can be construction materials, groundwater and natural gas. Radon accumulates mainly in the lower levels of the buildings (especially low-ventilated underground levels and basements). (2) Methods: in this paper, we have measured the indoor radon concentrations at 15 locations in various objects (basements and ground floor/1st floor rooms) in the area of northern Croatia. (3) Results: the results show a higher concentration of radon in the basement area in comparison to values measured in the ground floor and first-floor rooms. The arithmetic mean (AM) and geometric mean (GM) of basement rooms were 70.9 ± 38.8 Bq/m3 and 61.2 ± 2.2 Bq/m3 compared to ground floor and first-floor rooms 42.5 ± 30.8 Bq/m3 and 32.8 ± 2.9 Bq/m3, respectively. (4) Conclusions: results obtained (AM and GM values) are within the maximal allowed values (300 Bq/m3) according to the Euroatom Directive. However, there are periods when maximum radon concentration exceeds 300 Bq/m3. Indoor radon concentrations vary with the occupancy of the rooms and it is evident that the ventilation has significant effect on the reduction of concentration.

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Measurement of indoor radon concentrations in different dwellings in Arar, Saudi Arabia

Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection ◽

10.2298/ntrp1803293a ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 293-300

Author(s):

Ayman Abdalla ◽

Samy El-Gamal

Keyword(s):

Annual Effective Dose ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

International Committee ◽

Geometric Standard Deviation ◽

Cancer Risks ◽

Indoor Radon Concentration ◽

Lifetime Cancer Risk ◽

Average Value ◽

Radon Concentrations

Indoor radon concentrations in 33 dwellings in Arar city were measured using a CR-39 detector. This work is the first in the region and was done to assess the health risks. The exposure time was about 4 months, from May to September 2017. It was found that the indoor radon concentration changed in the range from 7.7 to 89.1 Bqm-3 with an overall average of 44.05 ? 6.21 Bqm-3 while the geometric mean is 39.51 Bqm-3 with a geometric standard deviation of 1.67. These values are within the acceptable level set by the International Committee for Radiation Protection. The annual effective dose received by the population of Arar was reported and it varied in the range 0.16 -1.82 mSv with an average value of 0.9 ? 0.16 mSv and the geometric mean is 0.81 mSv. The exposure to radon progeny was studied where the minimum, maximum, average, and geometric mean of exposure are 0.83?10-3, 9.63?10-3, 4.76 ? 0.67? 10-3 and 5.05?10-3 WLM, respectively. Finally, for the estimation of cancer risks, the excess lifetime cancer risk was investigated. Its average value was 3.7?10-3 which is relatively higher.

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Using geogenic radon potential to assess designation of radon priority areas in Ireland

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-4672 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Meabh Hughes ◽

Quentin Crowley

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Reference Level ◽

Indoor Radon Concentration ◽

Soil Radon ◽

Council Directive ◽

Geological Information ◽

S 100 ◽

Radon Potential ◽

Radon Concentrations

Radon is a radioactive gas which emanates from rock, soil and water. Radon concentrations in the atmosphere are generally very low (typically <5 Bq m-3), however it can occur at much higher levels in soil (typically 10&#8217;s-100&#8217;s kBq m-3), or enclosed spaces such as buildings and caves (typically 10&#8217;s- 100&#8217;s Bq m-3). Exposure to radon and its daughter products is associated with an elevated risk of developing lung cancer. Ireland has a population weighted indoor radon concentration of 98 Bq m-3 resulting in an estimated 300 annual lung cancer cases per year, representing approximately 12% of the annual lung cancer cases. A national-scale legislative radon-risk map has a 10 x 10 km spatial resolution and is based exclusively on indoor radon measurements (i.e. it does not contain any geological information). The legislative map satisfies the European Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM Basic Safety Standard, in that it defines &#8220;high radon&#8221; areas as those where >10% of homes are estimated to exceed the national reference level of 200 Bq m-3. New buildings in such areas are legally required to have a barrier, with low radon permeability installed.This research focuses on a karstic region of SE Ireland, which features some exceptionally high indoor radon concentrations (65,000 Bq m-3), even though it is not classified as a &#8220;high radon&#8221; area on the national legislative map. Here we demonstrate the use of measuring sub-soil radon concentrations and sub-soil permeability, in order to construct a radon potential (RP) map of the area. Extremely high sub-soil radon concentrations (>1443 kBqm-3) and radon potential values (>200) are spatially associated with Namurian shales, interbedded with limestone. Overall, we classify the study area as high radon potential (RP >35) using this technique. We suggest all areas underlain by Namurian shales in Ireland should undergo similar radon potential mapping, and if necessary, should be re-designated as &#8220;high radon&#8221; areas. If deemed appropriate (i.e. where RP >35), such a designation will help to protect the general public from the harmful effects of indoor radon exposure, and will help to lower the incidence of radon-related lung cancer in these areas.

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Sorrentina Peninsula: Geographical Distribution of the Indoor Radon Concentrations in Dwellings—Gini Index Application

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11177975 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (17) ◽

pp. 7975

Author(s):

Filomena Loffredo ◽

Irene Opoku-Ntim ◽

Maria Quarto

Keyword(s):

Standard Deviation ◽

Radon Concentration ◽

Gini Index ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Reference Level ◽

Geometric Standard Deviation ◽

Data Normalization ◽

Control Plan ◽

Radon Concentrations

The radon isotope (222Rn, half-life 3.8 days) is a radioactive byproduct of the 238U decay chain. Because radon is the second biggest cause of lung cancer after smoking, dense maps of indoor radon concentration are required to implement effective locally based risk reduction strategies. In this regard, we present an innovative method for the construction of interpolated maps (kriging) based on the Gini index computation to characterize the distribution of Rn concentration. The Gini coefficient variogram has been shown to be an effective predictor of radon concentration inhomogeneity. It allows for a better constraint of the critical distance below which the radon geological source can be considered uniform, at least for the investigated length scales of variability; it also better distinguishes fluctuations due to environmental predisposing factors from those due to random spatially uncorrelated noise. This method has been shown to be effective in finding larger-scale geographical connections that can subsequently be connected to geological characteristics. It was tested using real dataset derived from indoor radon measurements conducted in the Sorrentina Peninsula in Campania, Italy. The measurement was carried out in different residences using passive detectors (CR-39) for two consecutive semesters, beginning in September–November 2019 and ending in September–November 2020, to estimate the yearly mean radon concentration. The measurements and analysis were conducted in accordance with the quality control plan. Radon concentrations ranged from 25 to 722 Bq/m3 before being normalized to ground level, and from 23 to 933 Bq/m3 after being normalized, with a geometric mean of 120 Bq/m3 and a geometric standard deviation of 1.35 before data normalization, and 139 Bq/m3 and a geometric standard deviation of 1.36 after data normalization. Approximately 13% of the tests conducted exceeded the 300 Bq/m3 reference level set by Italian Legislative Decree 101/2020. The data show that the municipalities under investigation had no influence on indoor radon levels. The geology of the monitored location is interesting, and because soil is the primary source of Rn, risk assessment and mitigation for radon exposure cannot be undertaken without first analyzing the local geology. This research examines the spatial link among radon readings using the mapping based on the Gini method (kriging).

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Distribution of indoor radon concentrations between selected Hungarian thermal baths

Nukleonika ◽

10.1515/nuka-2016-0055 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 61 (3) ◽

pp. 333-336 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Amin Shahrokhi ◽

Erika Nagy ◽

Anita Csordás ◽

János Somlai ◽

Tibor Kovács

Keyword(s):

Radon Concentration ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Working Hours ◽

Ventilation Rate ◽

Reference Level ◽

Indoor Radon Concentration ◽

Annual Average ◽

Council Directive ◽

Small Pool ◽

Radon Concentrations

Abstract Owing to the high potential of radon to increase the risk of lung cancer, health organizations are enforced to update their regulations and recommendations regarding indoor radon levels each year. In this study, the indoor radon concentrations of three randomly selected thermal baths in Hungary using CR-39 and an AlphaGUARD radon monitor were measured with regard to the new updated standards of the European Basic Safety Standard (EU BSS, Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom, 2014). The annual average of indoor radon concentrations in Parad Medical Bath, Igal Health Spa and Eger Turkish Bath were measured as 159 ± 19, 176 ± 27 and 301 ± 30 Bq/m3, respectively. Indoor radon concentration in all measurement locations were determined to be below the reference level, with the exception of the main pool, small pool and sparkling bath areas in the Eger Turkish Bath that were measured as 403 ± 42, 315 ± 32 and 354 ± 36 Bq/m3, respectively. In light of the results, the estimated annual average radon concentration in the thermal baths was below the EU BSS reference level of 300 Bq/m3. Personal dosimetry is required to estimate the annual effective dose from inhaled radon by the workers at the Eger Turkish Bath. This procedure is required in order to justify the application of the mitigation process of decreasing working hours, improving the ventilation rate or increasing the number of classified employees in response to the official radiation surveillance programme.

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DETERMINATION OF RADON CONCENTRATIONS IN DWELLING IN ACEH

Jurnal Natural ◽

10.24815/jn.v17i2.8154 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 96

Author(s):

Wahyudi Wahyudi ◽

Dadong Iskandar ◽

Rini Safitri ◽

Kusdiana Kusdiana

Keyword(s):

Radon Concentration ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Research Area ◽

Reference Level ◽

Indoor Radon Concentration ◽

International Conference ◽

Riyadh City ◽

Biennial Conference ◽

Radon Concentrations

Abstract. Determination of radon concentrations in dwelling in Aceh region by using a passive method has been conducted. In this research, area considered was divided into several sections called grid. Each grid represents an area of 60 km x 60 km in which, depend on public response, 6-10 passive radon monitors were installed. The number of passive radon monitors installed in Aceh is 200 units, and they can be taken back as many as 191 units or 95.50 %. The passive radon monitors have stayed in dwelling for 3-4 months and after period of the exposure, those radon monitors were taken back and brought to laboratory for further process, and then the track were read and the radon concentrations were calculated. Furthermore, data of radon concentration in dwelling and GPS location were put into MapInfo Software v.10.5 to create a map of radon concentration. The results of the analysis of the radon concentration in dwelling in Aceh demonstrate that the concentrations are in the range of 3.32 ± 0.23 Bq/m3 up to 68.30 ± 4.83 Bq/m3. This result was lower than the radon reference level determined by UNSCEAR, which was 300 Bq/m3. The data are useful in the regional extension and development plans, as well as the basis for health policy analysis due to the existence of radon in Indonesia. Furthermore, these data will become the contribution of Indonesia in the international world through UNSCEAR, IAEA and WHO. The data obtained can be used as partial data in creating a map of radon concentration in residents’ houses in Aceh, as a part of the map of radon concentration in Indonesia. Keywords: radon concentration, dwelling, Aceh, passive methodREFERENSI UNSCEAR, 1996, Natural Radiation Exposures, Forty Fifth Session, VienaIAEA, 2005, Radiation, People and the Environment, Viena.Bunawas, Emlinarti, M. Affandi, 1996, Penentuan laju lepasan radon dari bahan bangunan menggunakan metode pasip dengan metode jejak nuklir, Prosiding PPIKRL, PSPKR-BATAN, 20-21 Agustus 1996, pp. 16-21.Sutarman, L. Nirwani, Emlinarti dan A. Warsona, 2005, Penentuan konsentrasi gas radon dan thoron menggunakan detektor film LR-115 di DKI Jakarta dan sekitarnya, Prosiding PPI–PDIPTN P3TM-BATAN, Jogjakarta, p. 212-221.M. Affandi, D. Iskandar, dan Bunawas, 1996, Radon di Kompleks Perumahan BATAN, Presiding PIKRL, PSPKR-BATAN, p. 262-265Wahyudi, Kusdiana and D. Iskandar, 2016, Mapping of Indoor Radon Concentration in Houses Located in South Sulawesi Province, 2nd International Conference on the SERIR2 & 14th Biennial Conference of the SPERA, Bali, CTRSM-BATAN, p. 35-38.E. Pudjadi, Wahyudi, A. Warsona and Syarbaini, 2016, Measurement of Indoor Radon-Thoron Concentration in Dwellings of Bali Island, Indonesia, 2nd International Conference on the SERIR2 & 14th Biennial Conference of the SPERA, Bali, CTRSM-BATAN, p. 186-192.M.H.Magalhães, et al., 2003. Radon-222 in Brazil: an outline of indoor and outdoor measurements. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 67(2), pp.131–143.F.S. Al-Saleh, 2007. Measurements of indoor gamma radiation and radon concentrations in dwellings of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 65(7), pp.843–848.

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Indoor Radon Concentration and Risk Assessment in 27 Districts of a Public Healthcare Company in Naples, South Italy

Life ◽

10.3390/life11030178 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 178

Author(s):

Filomena Loffredo ◽

Federica Savino ◽

Roberto Amato ◽

Alfredo Irollo ◽

Francesco Gargiulo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Effective Dose ◽

Annual Effective Dose ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Quality Assurance Program ◽

Geometric Standard Deviation ◽

Public Healthcare ◽

Indoor Radon Concentration ◽

Lifetime Cancer Risk ◽

Radon Concentrations

Radon is a major source of ionizing radiation exposure for the general population. It is known that exposure to radon is a risk factor for the onset of lung cancer. In this study, the results of a radon survey conducted in all districts of a Public Healthcare in Italy, are reported. Measurements of indoor radon were performed using nuclear track detectors, CR-39. The entire survey was conducted according to a well-established quality assurance program. The annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk were also calculated. Results show that the radon concentrations varied from 7 ± 1 Bq/m3 and 5148 ± 772 Bq/m3, with a geometric mean of 67 Bq/m3 and geometric standard deviation of 2.5. The annual effective dose to workers was found to be 1.6 mSv/y and comparable with the worldwide average. In Italy, following the transposition of the European Directive 59/2013, great attention was paid to the radon risk in workplaces. The interest of the workers of the monitored sites was very high and this, certainly contributed to the high return rate of the detectors after exposure and therefore, to the presence of few missing data. Although it was not possible to study the factors affecting radon concentrations, certainly the main advantage of this study is that it was the first in which an entire public health company was monitored in regards to all the premises on the underground and ground floor.

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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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Radon measurements with CR-39 track detectors at specific locations in Turkey

Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection ◽

10.2298/ntrp0401046u ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 46-49 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Asiye Ulug ◽

Melek Karabulut ◽

Nilgün Celebi

Keyword(s):

Radon Concentration ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Active Faults ◽

Indoor Radon Concentration ◽

Arithmetic Means ◽

Radon Measurements ◽

New Buildings ◽

Main Factor ◽

Ventilation Conditions ◽

Radon Concentrations

Indoor radon concentration levels at three sites in Turkey were measured using CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors. The annual mean of radon concentration was estimated on the basis of four quarter measurements at specific locations in Turkey. The measuring sites are on the active faults. The results of radon measurements are based on 280 measurements in doors. The annual arithmetic means of radon concentrations at three sites (Isparta Egirdir, and Yalvac) were found to be 164 Bqm?3, 124 Bqm?3, and 112 Bqm?3 respectively, ranging from 78 Bqm?3 to 279 Bqm?3. The in door radon concentrations were investigated with respect to the ventilation conditions and the age of buildings. The ventilation conditions were determined to be the main factor affecting the in door radon concentrations. The in door radon concentrations in the new buildings were higher than ones found in the old buildings.

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