Influence of subsoil geology and construction technique on indoor air /sup 222/Rn levels in 80 houses of the central Swiss Alps

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Health Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198904000-00003· OSTI ID:5992696

Buchli, R; Burkart, W

The indoor /sup 222/Rn level depends mainly on the subsoil geology, the cellar floor permeability, the cellar aeration, the air-tightness of the homes, and the aeration habits of the occupants. These five parameters and the /sup 222/Rn levels in the cellar and in the living room on the ground floor were compiled in 80 one- or two-family houses of the central Swiss Alps. The /sup 222/Rn levels were measured with passive alpha track detectors. Houses located on a granite, ortho-gneiss or verrucano subsoil have a cellar /sup 222/Rn level that is on the average 4.4 times higher than houses which are built on grey-schist or sediments. The cellar level is on the average 5.4 times higher if the cellar has partially a gravel or earth floor than if the whole cellar surface is covered with a concrete floor. Energy-efficient, highly air-tightened homes have a living room level that is on the average 1.8 times higher than normally insulated conventional homes. In the cellars and the living rooms of the 80 houses considered, arithmetic mean /sup 222/Rn levels of 724 Bq m-3 (20 pCi L-1) and 178 Bq m-3 (4.8 pCi L-1), respectively, were found. In the central Swiss Alps /sup 222/Rn and /sup 222/Rn decay products lead to an estimated mean exposure of 5.3 mSv effective dose equivalent per year.

• Research Organization: Paul Scherrer Institute, Wuerenlingen (Switzerland)
• OSTI ID: 5992696
• Journal Information: Health Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Health Phys.; (United States) Vol. 56:4; ISSN HLTPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500300* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BUILDINGS
COLLOIDS
CONTAMINATION
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISPERSIONS
DOSES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EUROPE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
GEOLOGY
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOUSES
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
ISOTOPES
MONITORING
NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY
NUCLEI
POLLUTION
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOACTIVE AEROSOLS
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SOILS
SOLS
SWITZERLAND
WESTERN EUROPE