Radon: Sources, Health Risks, and Hazard Mapping

Appleton, J.D.

doi:10.1579/0044-7447(2007)36[85:rshrah]2.0.co;2

Cited by 59 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Though this position paper encourages minimizing exposure to radon and its radioactive progeny, it goes on to suggest that the EPA should review its emphasis on using 148 Bq m-3 as an action level, and that the EPA should move toward prompt identification of indoor occupied areas with high radon concentrations "(Le., tens of pCi/L and greater)" for prompt mitigation. for long-term exposures to radon and progeny has been reported (Darby et al 2005, Krewski et al 2005, Appleton 2007). This analysis suggests the HPS recommendations are disproportionately high relative to national and international recommendations (EPA, ICRP 1993) and more recent epidemiological research.…”

Section: Contrasting Radon Effective Dose Rates and Risks With Regulamentioning

confidence: 97%

Work to Save Dose: Contrasting Effective Dose Rates From Radon Exposure in Workplaces and Residences Against the Backdrop of Public and Occupational Regulatory Limits

Whicker

McNaughton

2009

Health Physics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Office workers are exposed to radon while at work and at home. Though there has been a multitude of studies reporting the measurements of radon concentrations and potential lung and effective doses associated with radon and progeny exposure in homes, similar studies on the concentrations and subsequent effective dose rates in the non-mine workplaces are lacking. Additionally, there are few, if any, comparative analyses of radon exposures at more "typical" workplace with residential exposures within the same county. The purposes of this study were to measure radon concentrations in office and residential spaces in the same county and explore the radiation dose implications. Sixty five track -etch detectors were deployed in office spaces and 47 were deployed in residences, all within Los Alamos County, New Mexico, USA. The sampling periods for these measurements were generally about three months. The measured concentrations were used to calculate and compare effective dose rates resulting from exposure while at work and at home. Results showed that full-time office workers receive on average about 8 times greater exposure at home than while in the office (2.3 mSv yr-! versus 0.3 mSv yr-!). The estimated effective dose rate for a more homebound person was about 3 mSv yr-!. Estimating effective doses from background radon exposure in the same county as Los Alamos National Laboratory, with thousands of"radiological workers," highlights interesting contrasts in radiation protection standards that span public and occupational settings. For example, the effective dose rate from background radon exposure in unregulated office spaces ranged up to 1.1 mSv yr-!, which is similar to the 1 mSv yr-! threshold for regulation of a "radiological worker," as defined in the Department of Energy regulations for occupational exposure. Additionally, the estimated average effective dose total of> 3 mSv yf! from radon background exposure in homes stands in contrast to the 0.1 mSv yr-! air pathway effective public dose limit regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency for radioactive air emissions.2

show abstract

Section: Contrasting Radon Effective Dose Rates and Risks With Regulamentioning

confidence: 97%

Work to Save Dose: Contrasting Effective Dose Rates From Radon Exposure in Workplaces and Residences Against the Backdrop of Public and Occupational Regulatory Limits

Whicker

McNaughton

2009

Health Physics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Uranium is found in small quantities in all sediments and rocks, but the concentration varies. 222 Rn has a half-life of 3.82 days, and provides about 50 % of the total radiation dose for an average person (Appleton, 2007). The other radon isotopes have a shorter half-life than 222 Rn and are therefore not regarded as a considerable health issue.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using geographic information systems for radon exposure assessment in dwellings in the Oslo region, Norway

Kollerud

Blaasaas

Ganerød

et al. 2014

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Radon exposures were assigned to each residential address in the Oslo region using a geographic information system (GIS) that included indoor radon measurements. The results will be used in an epidemiologic study regarding leukemia and brain cancer. The model is based on 6 % of measured residential buildings. High density of indoor radon measurements allowed us to develop a buffer model where indoor radon measurements found around each dwelling were used to assign a radon value for homes lacking radon measurement.Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to study the agreement between radon values from the buffer method, from indoor radon values of measured houses, and from a regression model constructed with radiometric data (e Th , e U ) and bedrock geology. We obtained good agreement for both comparisons with ICC values between 0.54 and 0.68.GIS offers a useful variety of tools to study the indoorradon exposure assessment. By using the buffer method it is more likely that geological conditions are similar within the buffer and this may take more into account the variation of radon over short distances. It is also probable that short-distance-scale correlation patterns express similarities in building styles and living habits. Although the method has certain limitations, we regard it as acceptable for use in epidemiological studies.

show abstract

“…It is difficult to provide a consistent indication of the spatial variation of the likely reliability of the RP ir and RP irg maps although the density of indoor radon measurements is probably the best indicator . Uranium concentrations in surface rocks and soils, estimated by airborne gamma spectrometry surveys of gamma rays from 214 Bi, and referred to as eU (equivalent uranium), have been used to inform radon potential mapping in many countries (Appleton, 2007;Smethurst et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Northern Ireland radon maps based on indoor radon measurements and geology with maps derived by predictive modelling of airborne radiometric and ground permeability data

Appleton

Miles²,

Young

2011

Science of The Total Environment

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Publicly available information about radon potential in Northern Ireland is currently based on indoor radon results averaged over 1-km grid squares, an approach that does not take into account the geological origin of the radon. This study describes a spatially more accurate estimate of the radon potential of Northern Ireland using an integrated radon potential mapping method based on indoor radon measurements and geology that was originally developed for mapping radon potential in England and Wales. A refinement of this method was also investigated using linear regression analysis of a selection of relevant airborne and soil geochemical parameters from the Tellus project. The most significant independent * Corresponding author. Tel: +44-115-9363207; Fax: +44-115-9363200. E-mail address: jda@bgs.ac.uk (J D Appleton)2 variables were found to be eU, a parameter derived from airborne gamma spectrometry measurements of radon decay products in the top layer of soil and exposed bedrock, and the permeability of the ground. The radon potential map generated from the Tellus data agrees in many respects with the map based on indoor radon data and geology but there are several areas where radon potential predicted from the airborne radiometric and permeability data is substantially lower. This under-prediction could be caused by the radon concentration being lower in the top 30 cm of the soil than at greater depth, because of the loss of radon from the surface rocks and soils to air.

show abstract

Radon: Sources, Health Risks, and Hazard Mapping

Cited by 59 publications

References 26 publications

Work to Save Dose: Contrasting Effective Dose Rates From Radon Exposure in Workplaces and Residences Against the Backdrop of Public and Occupational Regulatory Limits

Work to Save Dose: Contrasting Effective Dose Rates From Radon Exposure in Workplaces and Residences Against the Backdrop of Public and Occupational Regulatory Limits

Using geographic information systems for radon exposure assessment in dwellings in the Oslo region, Norway

Comparison of Northern Ireland radon maps based on indoor radon measurements and geology with maps derived by predictive modelling of airborne radiometric and ground permeability data

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About