Indoor radon survey in Greenland and dose assessment

Violeta Hansen; Dorthe Petersen; Jens Søgaard-Hansen; Frank Farsø Rigét; Anders Mosbech; Daniel Spelling Clausen; Gert Mulvad; Tryggve Rönnqvist

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.107080

Indoor radon survey in Greenland and dose assessment

Violeta Hansen^*, Dorthe Petersen, Jens Søgaard-Hansen, Frank Farsø Rigét, Anders Mosbech, Daniel Spelling Clausen, Gert Mulvad, Tryggve Rönnqvist

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

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Abstract

Indoor radon and its decay products are the primary sources of the population's exposure to background ionizing radiation. Radon decay products are one of the leading causes of lung cancer, with a higher lung cancer risk for smokers due to the synergistic effects of radon decay products and cigarette smoking. A total of 459 year-long radon measurements in 257 detached and semi-detached residential homes in southwest and south Greenland were carried out, and a dose assessment for adults was performed. The annual arithmetic and geometric means of indoor radon concentrations was 10.5 ± 0.2 Bq m⁻³ and 8.0 ± 2.3 Bq m⁻³ in Nuuk, 139.0 ± 1.0 Bq m⁻³ and 97.3 ± 2.1 Bq m⁻³ in Narsaq, and 42.1 ± 0.7 Bq m⁻³ and 22.0 ± 3.1 Bq m⁻³ in Qaqortoq. Arithmetic and geometric mean radon concentration of 79.0 Bq m⁻³ and 50.3 Bq m⁻³ were estimated for adult, person-weighted living in south Greenland. The total number of detached and semi-detached residential homes where indoor radon is exceeding 100 Bq m⁻³, 200 Bq m⁻³, and 300 Bq m⁻³ is 37 homes (15.0%), 13 homes (5.2%), and 8 homes (3.2%), respectively. A positive correlation between indoor air radon concentrations and underlying geology was observed. The indoor radon contribution to the annual inhalation effective dose to an average adult was 0.5 mSv in Nuuk, 6.5 mSv in Narsaq, 2.0 mSv in Qaqortoq, and 4.0 mSv for south Greenland adult person weighted. The estimated annual average effective dose to adults in Narsaq is higher than the world's average annual effective dose of 1.3 mSv due to inhalation of indoor radon. Cost-efficient mitigation methods exist to reduce radon in existing buildings, and to prevent radon entry into new buildings.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	107080
Tidsskrift	Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Vol/bind	257
ISSN	0265-931X
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.107080
Status	Udgivet - feb. 2023

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10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.107080Licens: CC BY

1-s2.0-S0265931X22002715-mainForlagets udgivne version, 3,29 MBLicens: CC BY

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title = "Indoor radon survey in Greenland and dose assessment",

abstract = "Indoor radon and its decay products are the primary sources of the population's exposure to background ionizing radiation. Radon decay products are one of the leading causes of lung cancer, with a higher lung cancer risk for smokers due to the synergistic effects of radon decay products and cigarette smoking. A total of 459 year-long radon measurements in 257 detached and semi-detached residential homes in southwest and south Greenland were carried out, and a dose assessment for adults was performed. The annual arithmetic and geometric means of indoor radon concentrations was 10.5 ± 0.2 Bq m−3 and 8.0 ± 2.3 Bq m−3 in Nuuk, 139.0 ± 1.0 Bq m−3 and 97.3 ± 2.1 Bq m−3 in Narsaq, and 42.1 ± 0.7 Bq m−3 and 22.0 ± 3.1 Bq m−3 in Qaqortoq. Arithmetic and geometric mean radon concentration of 79.0 Bq m−3 and 50.3 Bq m−3 were estimated for adult, person-weighted living in south Greenland. The total number of detached and semi-detached residential homes where indoor radon is exceeding 100 Bq m−3, 200 Bq m−3, and 300 Bq m−3 is 37 homes (15.0%), 13 homes (5.2%), and 8 homes (3.2%), respectively. A positive correlation between indoor air radon concentrations and underlying geology was observed. The indoor radon contribution to the annual inhalation effective dose to an average adult was 0.5 mSv in Nuuk, 6.5 mSv in Narsaq, 2.0 mSv in Qaqortoq, and 4.0 mSv for south Greenland adult person weighted. The estimated annual average effective dose to adults in Narsaq is higher than the world's average annual effective dose of 1.3 mSv due to inhalation of indoor radon. Cost-efficient mitigation methods exist to reduce radon in existing buildings, and to prevent radon entry into new buildings.",

keywords = "Rn, Arctic, Decay products, House metrics, Inhalation dose, Natural radioactivity",

author = "Violeta Hansen and Dorthe Petersen and Jens S{\o}gaard-Hansen and Rig{\'e}t, {Frank Fars{\o}} and Anders Mosbech and Clausen, {Daniel Spelling} and Gert Mulvad and Tryggve R{\"o}nnqvist",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors",

year = "2023",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.107080",

language = "English",

volume = "257",

journal = "Journal of Environmental Radioactivity",

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T1 - Indoor radon survey in Greenland and dose assessment

AU - Hansen, Violeta

AU - Petersen, Dorthe

AU - Søgaard-Hansen, Jens

AU - Rigét, Frank Farsø

AU - Mosbech, Anders

AU - Clausen, Daniel Spelling

AU - Mulvad, Gert

AU - Rönnqvist, Tryggve

PY - 2023/2

Y1 - 2023/2

N2 - Indoor radon and its decay products are the primary sources of the population's exposure to background ionizing radiation. Radon decay products are one of the leading causes of lung cancer, with a higher lung cancer risk for smokers due to the synergistic effects of radon decay products and cigarette smoking. A total of 459 year-long radon measurements in 257 detached and semi-detached residential homes in southwest and south Greenland were carried out, and a dose assessment for adults was performed. The annual arithmetic and geometric means of indoor radon concentrations was 10.5 ± 0.2 Bq m−3 and 8.0 ± 2.3 Bq m−3 in Nuuk, 139.0 ± 1.0 Bq m−3 and 97.3 ± 2.1 Bq m−3 in Narsaq, and 42.1 ± 0.7 Bq m−3 and 22.0 ± 3.1 Bq m−3 in Qaqortoq. Arithmetic and geometric mean radon concentration of 79.0 Bq m−3 and 50.3 Bq m−3 were estimated for adult, person-weighted living in south Greenland. The total number of detached and semi-detached residential homes where indoor radon is exceeding 100 Bq m−3, 200 Bq m−3, and 300 Bq m−3 is 37 homes (15.0%), 13 homes (5.2%), and 8 homes (3.2%), respectively. A positive correlation between indoor air radon concentrations and underlying geology was observed. The indoor radon contribution to the annual inhalation effective dose to an average adult was 0.5 mSv in Nuuk, 6.5 mSv in Narsaq, 2.0 mSv in Qaqortoq, and 4.0 mSv for south Greenland adult person weighted. The estimated annual average effective dose to adults in Narsaq is higher than the world's average annual effective dose of 1.3 mSv due to inhalation of indoor radon. Cost-efficient mitigation methods exist to reduce radon in existing buildings, and to prevent radon entry into new buildings.

AB - Indoor radon and its decay products are the primary sources of the population's exposure to background ionizing radiation. Radon decay products are one of the leading causes of lung cancer, with a higher lung cancer risk for smokers due to the synergistic effects of radon decay products and cigarette smoking. A total of 459 year-long radon measurements in 257 detached and semi-detached residential homes in southwest and south Greenland were carried out, and a dose assessment for adults was performed. The annual arithmetic and geometric means of indoor radon concentrations was 10.5 ± 0.2 Bq m−3 and 8.0 ± 2.3 Bq m−3 in Nuuk, 139.0 ± 1.0 Bq m−3 and 97.3 ± 2.1 Bq m−3 in Narsaq, and 42.1 ± 0.7 Bq m−3 and 22.0 ± 3.1 Bq m−3 in Qaqortoq. Arithmetic and geometric mean radon concentration of 79.0 Bq m−3 and 50.3 Bq m−3 were estimated for adult, person-weighted living in south Greenland. The total number of detached and semi-detached residential homes where indoor radon is exceeding 100 Bq m−3, 200 Bq m−3, and 300 Bq m−3 is 37 homes (15.0%), 13 homes (5.2%), and 8 homes (3.2%), respectively. A positive correlation between indoor air radon concentrations and underlying geology was observed. The indoor radon contribution to the annual inhalation effective dose to an average adult was 0.5 mSv in Nuuk, 6.5 mSv in Narsaq, 2.0 mSv in Qaqortoq, and 4.0 mSv for south Greenland adult person weighted. The estimated annual average effective dose to adults in Narsaq is higher than the world's average annual effective dose of 1.3 mSv due to inhalation of indoor radon. Cost-efficient mitigation methods exist to reduce radon in existing buildings, and to prevent radon entry into new buildings.

KW - Rn

KW - Arctic

KW - Decay products

KW - House metrics

KW - Inhalation dose

KW - Natural radioactivity

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DO - 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.107080

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36446183

AN - SCOPUS:85142746555

SN - 0265-931X

VL - 257

JO - Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

JF - Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

M1 - 107080

ER -

Indoor radon survey in Greenland and dose assessment

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