radon exposure
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Author(s):  
Jing Chen

AbstractFrom 2007 to 2013, simultaneous radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn) measurements were conducted in a total of 3534 residential homes in 34 metropolitan areas covering 71% of the Canadian population. While radon levels were above the detector’s detection limit in almost all homes, thoron concentrations were measurable in only 1738 homes. When analysis was limited to homes where thoron concentrations exceeded the detection limit, a pooled analysis confirmed that thoron is log-normally distributed in the indoor environment, and the distribution was characterized by a population-weighted geometric mean of 13 Bq/m3 and a geometric standard deviation of 1.89. Thoron contribution to indoor radon dose varied widely, ranging from 1.3 to 32% geographically. This study indicated that on average, thoron contributes 4% of the radiation dose due to total indoor radon exposure (222Rn and 220Rn) in Canada.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Nicoleta Bican-Brișan ◽  
Gabriel-Cristian Dobrei ◽  
Bety-Denissa Burghele ◽  
Alexandra-Laura Cucoș (Dinu)

Schools are a category of public buildings with a high radon exposure risk, due to their high occupancy factor. In Romania, the elaboration of a methodology for radon measurements in schools is a necessity imposed both by the European legislation and by the relatively high percentage (about 10%) of the mapped territory with a potential increased risk of exposure to the action of ionizing radiation emitted by radon. In order to optimize the design of a national survey aimed to evaluate radon exposure of children in Romanian schools, we conducted a pilot study in two schools in Cluj-Napoca, following the screening measurements carried out in 109 schools and kindergartens from five counties. The specific steps that must be followed were described, taking into account the international protocols and particularities of Romanian territory. The proposed approach could act as a guide for other large buildings and is implicit for the implementation of National Radon Action Plan, approved by HG no. 526/12 July 2018 in accordance with Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM. The obtained results indicate that a high probability of annual radon concentration above the national reference level is to be expected in schools.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 11064
Author(s):  
Paulo Barros ◽  
António Curado ◽  
Sérgio Ivan Lopes

Radon gas is a harmful pollutant with a well-documented adverse influence on public health. In poorly ventilated environments, that are often prone to significant radon levels, studies indicate a known relationship between human radon exposure and lung cancer. Recent technology advances, notably on the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, allow the integration of sensors, computing, and communication capabilities into low-cost and small-scale devices that can be used for implementing specific cyber-physical systems (CPS) for online and real-time radon management. These technologies are crucial for improving the overall building indoor air quality (IAQ), contributing toward the so-called cognitive buildings, where human-based control is tending to decline, and building management systems (BMS) are focused on balancing critical factors, such as energy efficiency, human radon exposure management, and user experience, to achieve a more transparent and harmonious integration between technology and the built environment. This work surveys recent IoT technologies for indoor radon exposure management (monitoring, assessment and mitigation), and discusses its main challenges and opportunities, by focusing on methods, techniques, and technologies to answer the following questions: (i) What technologies have been recently in use for radon exposure management; (ii) how they operate; (iii) what type of radon detection mechanisms do they use; and (iv) what type of system architectures, components, and communication technologies have been used to assist the referred technologies. This contribution is relevant to pave the way for designing more intelligent and sustainable systems that rely on IoT and Information and Communications Technology (ICT), to achieve an optimal balance between these two critical factors: human radon exposure management and building energy efficiency.


Author(s):  
Jinlong Yong ◽  
Qian Liu ◽  
Baoshan Wu ◽  
Youhua Hu ◽  
Guangwen Feng

Abstract Radon is readily soluble in water, and radon exposure caused by household water consumption may pose a threat to public health. In this study, the radon concentration in the tap water of residential buildings was measured, and the average value was 543.33 mBq L−1, which was in line with the radon concentration limit recommended by USEPA (11.11 Bq L−1) and EURATOM (100 Bq L−1), and also within the range of the results of radon concentration measurements in tap water in other countries or regions. Through water bath heating at different temperatures, the radon retention curves of multiple groups of samples at different temperatures were fitted and analyzed. The results showed that the radon retention continued to decrease between 25 and 70 °C, remained stable between 70 and 85 °C, and then continued to decline slowly. Combined with the measurement results, the effective doses of α- and β-particles emitted by 222Rn and its progenies to residents respiratory and alimentary tissues and organs were calculated using the computational model provided by ICRP under two typical water scenarios of shower and drinking water, and the results show that radon exposure caused by normal water consumption will not pose a serious threat to public health.


2021 ◽  
Vol 193 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Mahamudul Hasan ◽  
Miroslaw Janik ◽  
Akihiro Sakoda ◽  
Takeshi Iimoto
Keyword(s):  

Author(s):  
Bart Olsthoorn ◽  
Tryggve Rönnqvist ◽  
Cheuk Lau ◽  
Sanguthevar Rajasekaran ◽  
Tomas Persson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

2021 ◽  
Vol 2069 (1) ◽  
pp. 012180
Author(s):  
B H Høegh ◽  
T Hansen ◽  
S Clausen

Abstract To ensure a healthy indoor environment, the indoor air level of the radioactive gas radon must be kept low according to the WHO. This can be achieved by installing a radon sub-slab suction system. In buildings with a basement at the same time a sub-slab drainage system is often necessary. This paper describes results from a project, aiming to combine a radon sub-slab suction system with a sub-slab drainage system. A combined system will minimize the number of pipes when constructing new buildings and will also provide an easier retrofitting method for adding a radon sub-slab suction system to buildings with an existing sub-slab drainage system. In the project, it was found that the combination of the two functionalities required an airtight system to lower the pressure under the ground slab, an unhampered drainage of ground water and a prevention of odour from the drains. To meet these requirements, a prototype of a well with a water trap, a water outlet and a separate suction pipe for the air outlet was developed. A low voltage fan was installed in the suction pipe. The system was installed in a detached house with a 104 m2 basement. After installation, the pressure reduction over the ground slab in the basement was measured to be able to investigate the effect of the suction system independently of the radon exposure. The results showed a reduction of the pressure in the farthest corners under the ground slab by approximately 0.6 to 1.9 Pa compared to the pressure over the ground slab. We concluded that a combined radon sub-slab suction and sub-slab drainage system is possible with the designed well, although the use of a stronger fan will be necessary to meet the identified test objective of pressure reduction ΔP ≥ 1-3 Pa.


2021 ◽  
pp. 541-551
Author(s):  
Paula Azeredo ◽  
Ana Curralo ◽  
António Curado ◽  
Sérgio Ivan Lopes

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