Exposure to tobacco smoke and radon cause lung cancer. Radioactive decay of naturally occurring uranium in bedrock produces radon. Seasonality, bedrock type, age of home, and topography have been associated with indoor radon, but the research is mixed. The study objective was to examine the relationships of geologic (soil radon and bedrock) and seasonal (warm and cold times of the year) factors with indoor home radon values in citizen scientists' homes over time, controlling for atmospheric conditions, topography, age of home, and home exposure to tobacco smoke. We collected and analyzed indoor radon values, soil radon gas concentrations, and dwelling- and county-level geologic and atmospheric conditions on 66 properties in four rural counties during two seasons: (1) summer 2021 ( = 53); and (2) winter/spring 2022 ( = 52). Citizen scientists measured indoor radon using Airthings radon sensors, and outdoor temperature and rainfall. Geologists obtained soil radon measurements using RAD7 instruments at two locations (near the dwelling and farther away) at each dwelling, testing for associations of indoor radon values with soil values, bedrock type, topography, and atmospheric conditions. Bedrock type, near soil radon levels, home age, and barometric pressure were associated with indoor radon. Dwellings built on carbonate bedrock had indoor radon values that were 2.8 pCi/L (103.6 Bq m) higher, on average, compared to homes built on siliclastic rock. Homes with higher near soil radon and those built <40 ago were more likely to have indoor radon ⩾4.0 pCi/L (148 Bq m). With higher atmospheric barometric pressure during testing, observed indoor radon values were lower. Seasonality and topography were not associated with indoor radon level. Understanding relationships among bedrock type, soil radon, and indoor radon exposure allows the development of practical predictive models that may support pre-construction forecasting of indoor radon potential based on geologic factors.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/acdcb3 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
December 2024
Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, 036-8564, Aomori, Japan.
Radon (Rn) and thoron (Rn) were reported as the highest contributors to natural radiation received by humans. Furthermore, radon has been stated as the second-highest cause of lung cancer. The concentrations of U and Th (the parent nuclide of radon and thoron, respectively) in nature vary with geological conditions and can be enhanced by human activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Monit Assess
December 2024
School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Atomic Campus, P.O. Box LG 80 Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Excavation of terrestrial surface of the Earth could enhance the chance of exposure to radon while gases in the underground get access to escape. This study was aimed to assess the level of radon concentration from soil samples of quarrying sites at Hakim Gara in Ethiopia using CR-39 detectors in sealed container technique. The results of the measured radon concentration level were ranging from 164.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProbl Radiac Med Radiobiol
December 2024
State Institution «O.M. Marzіeiev Institute for Public Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine», 50 Hetman Pavlo Polubotok Str., Kyiv, 02094, Ukraine.
Objective: assessment of probable exposure levels from radon and NORM in workplaces within the context of justi fying radiation protection plans in an existing exposure situation.
Materials And Methods: Materials regarding the assessment of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) con tent in tailing from mining and processing industries in Ukraine and assessments of contamination levels of industri al sites of oil and gas enterprises were used for estimating the probable range of effective doses (ED) of workers fromNORM at industrial enterprises. These materials were obtained as a result of research conducted by specialists from theRadiation Protection Laboratory of the State Institution «O.
Biomed Environ Sci
November 2024
Key Laboratory of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Emergency, China CDC, National Institute for Radiological Protection, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100088, China.
Objective: We aimed to analyze the current indoor radon level and estimate the population risk of radon-induced lung cancer in urban areas of China.
Methods: Using the passive monitoring method, a new survey on indoor radon concentrations was conducted in 2,875 dwellings across 31 provincial capital cities in Chinese mainland from 2018 to 2023. The attributable risk of lung cancer induced by indoor radon exposure was estimated based on the risk assessment model.
Health Phys
December 2024
Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hatay, Türkiye.
In this study, the occupational radiation dose, radon gas, and non-ionizing radiation doses originating from electromagnetic fields (EMF) to which radiation workers are exposed were monitored and evaluated for 1 y. Using electronic personnel dosimeters (EPD), average daily radiation doses based on the number of patients and annual average effective dose results of radiation workers were obtained over a period of 1 y. Also, the annual effective dose and risk values were calculated for 8 h and 24 h by taking radon gas measurements at 2-mo intervals in the nuclear medicine department.
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