A recent challenge in research dedicated to residential exposure to radon comes from the growing number of houses retrofitted to reduce energy consumption. Efficiently insulated buildings and modern architectural solutions can lead to the accumulation of high levels of indoor pollutants. A systematic analysis was conducted in a residential complex (consisting of six houses) in order to assess the annual radon concentration and to evaluate the intensity of the relationships with various factors, such as the indoor-outdoor temperature differences, wind speed and wind direction. Three types of occupational behaviour, influencing the ventilation rate of the dwellings and, implicitly, the indoor radon activity concentration were observed. By calculating the partial correlation coefficient between the radon concentration and the wind direction, with the wind speed as the control variable, for all six houses the correlation coefficient presents negative values.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncaa040 | DOI Listing |
Appl Radiat Isot
January 2025
School of Applied Mathematics and Informatics, University of Osijek, Trg Ljudevita Gaja 6, Osijek, Croatia.
The national radon surveys in Montenegro revealed that the highest annual average radon concentrations (C) in ground floors of dwellings and schools were found in a rural region characterized as a typical high-karst area. In this region, spanning approximately 800 km, C values in 9 houses and 16 schools ranged from 219 to 2494 Bq/m, with AM = 977 Bq/m. To investigate the causes of these elevated indoor radon concentrations, the following parameters were measured near the 25 surveyed buildings: soil humidity, electrical conductivity, pH, activity concentrations of Ra, U, U, Th and K, radon concentration in soil gas (c), soil permeability for radon gas (k), and gamma dose rate in the air.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02114.
Radon, a common radioactive indoor air pollutant, is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Knowledge about its distribution is essential for risk assessment and designing efficient protective regulations. However, the three current radon maps for the United States are unable to provide the up-to-date, high-resolution, and time-varying radon concentrations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJAMA Netw Open
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.
Importance: Understanding environmental risk factors for gestational diabetes (GD) is crucial for developing preventive strategies and improving pregnancy outcomes.
Objective: To examine the association of county-level radon exposure with GD risk in pregnant individuals.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This multicenter, population-based cohort study used data from the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be (nuMoM2b) cohort, which recruited nulliparous pregnant participants from 8 US clinical centers between October 2010 and September 2013.
Cancers (Basel)
December 2024
Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8564, Aomori, Japan.
Indoor radon is a significant risk factor for the development of LC. This study aimed to identify potential biomarkers for LC risk in high background radiation areas using a metabolomics approach (UHPLC-HRMS). Based on the indoor radon activity concentration measurements in the Kong Khaek subdistrict, serum samples were collected from 45 nonsmoker or former smoker participants, comprising 15 LC patients and 30 matched healthy controls (low- and high-radon groups, respectively).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Pollut
January 2025
Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States; Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas derived from the decay of uranium in the Earth's crust. Radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the US. Radon infiltrates homes through soil and building foundations.
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