Is high indoor radon concentration correlated with specific activity of radium in nearby soil? A study in Kosovo and Metohija

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 24; no. 24; pp. 19561 - 19568
• Main Authors: Gulan, Ljiljana, Stajic, Jelena M., Bochicchio, Francesco, Carpentieri, Carmela, Milic, Gordana, Nikezic, Dragoslav, Zunic, Zora S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air Pollution, Indoor - analysis; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Coefficient of variation; Dwellings; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Housing; Housing - standards; Indoor air pollution; Indoor environments; Kosovo; Radiation Monitoring - methods; Radioisotopes; Radium; Radium - analysis; Radium isotopes; Radium radioisotopes; Radon; Radon - analysis; Radon isotopes; Radon levels; Research Article; Residential areas; Resorts & spas; Seasons; Soil investigations; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis; Soils; Spectrometry; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Kosovo; Radionuclides; Effective dose; Lung cancer risk; Seasonal variation; Indoor radon; Correlations
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9538-8

This paper presents indoor radon concentrations and specific activities of natural radionuclides measured in soils of Kosovo and Metohija. The measurements of radon concentration were performed during two consecutive 6-month periods in two rooms of 63 houses using CR-39 detectors. The annual radon concentration ranged from 30 to 810 Bq m −3 with the average value of 128 Bq m −3 . Almost 15% of the houses had radon concentration higher than 200 Bq m −3 . The difference between radon concentrations measured in the two 6-month periods was analyzed, showing, as expected, a slightly higher radon concentration in the “winter period” than in the “summer period”. The variation between different rooms of the same houses was also analyzed, showing that 20% of the dwellings had a significantly higher radon concentration (>100 Bq m −3 ) in one room compared to the other (the coefficient of variation ranged up to 96%). The specific activities of natural radionuclides in the nearby soil were determined by gamma spectrometry. The estimated average value (and standard deviation) of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K specific activities were 32 (13), 35 (16), and 582 (159) Bq kg −1 , respectively. The correlation between indoor 222 Rn and 226 Ra content in soil was investigated. Only a weak correlation was found (Spearman’s rho = 0.220) indicating that other factors might affect diffusion and accumulation of radon indoors, as confirmed also by the high variability between the rooms of the same houses.