COVID-19 and the Additional Radiological Risk during the Lockdown Period in the Province of Naples City (South Italy)

Abstract

The lockdown restrictions, as a first solution to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, have affected everyone’s life and habits, including the time spent at home. The latter factor has drawn attention to indoor air quality and the impact on human health, particularly for chemical pollutants. This study investigated how the increasing time indoor influenced exposure to natural radioactive substances, such as radon gas. To calculate the radiological risk, we considered the most consolidated indices used for radiation protection: annual effective dose, excess lifetime cancer risk, and the lung cancer case. Furthermore, two different exposure times were considered: pre-lockdown and post-lockdown. The lockdown increased the indoor exposure time by 4% and, consequently, the radiological risk factors by 9%. Furthermore, the reference value of 300 Bq/m3, considered acceptable for human radiation protection, may need to be lowered further in the case of conditions similar to those of the lockdown period.

Impacts of exposure to air pollution, radon and climate drivers on the COVID-19 pandemic in Bucharest, Romania: A time series study

“…This article focused on outdoor radon- 222 Rn due to the availability of time series monitoring data, being known that it is the dominant source to internal exposure, and long-term outdoor and indoor radon exposure induced damages to bronchial epithelial cells and the human lung through increasing oxidative stress ( La Verde et al, 2022 ; Suarez-Lopez et al, 2021 ). Was recognized that for most cases, the outdoor radon risk was orders of magnitude less than the indoor risk, but under extremely specific meteorological and topographical conditions it can become comparable ( Borro et al, 2021 ).…”

Radon and Neoplasms

“…Time spent in residential spaces is crucial for the radiation dose received, because radon accumulates in buildings. The pandemic lockdown in the years 2020–2022 increased the indoor exposure time by 4% and, consequently, the radiological risk factors by 9% [ 8 ]. Equilibrium factor F indicates how many radionuclides occur at a given ventilation level in relation to the state of radioactive equilibrium.…”

Radiological Risk to Inhalation of Thoron Gas from Medical Materials Samples Derived from Medical Plants in Iraq

“…The radiological risk due to inhalation of thoron concentration, such as Annual Effective Dose (AED), Excessive Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR), and Lung Cancer Case (LCC), were calculated using the Eqs. (2-4) [23][24][25][26].…”