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Soil and building material as main sources of indoor radon in Baita-Stei radon prone area (Romania)

Abstract

Radon contributes to over than 50% of the natural radiation dose received by people. In radon risk areas this contribution can be as high as 90-95%, leading to an exposure to natural radiation 5-10 times higher than normal. This work presents results from radon measurements (indoor, soil and exhalation from building materials) in Baita-Stei, a former uranium exploitation area in NW Romania. In this region, indoor radon concentrations found were as high as 5000 Bq m{sup -3} and soil radon levels ranged from 20 to 500 kBq m{sup -3}. An important contribution from building materials to indoor radon was also observed. Our results indicate two independent sources of indoor radon in the surveyed houses of this region. One source is coming from the soil and regular building materials, and the second source being uranium waste and local radium reached material used in building construction. The soil as source of indoor radon shows high radon potential in 80% of the investigated area. Some local building materials reveal high radon exhalation rate (up to 80 mBq kg{sup -1} h{sup -1} from a sandy-gravel material, ten times higher than normal material). These measurements were used for the radon risk classification of this area  More>>
Authors:
Cosma, Constantin; Cucos-Dinu, Alexandra; [1]  Papp, Botond; [1]  Begy, Robert; [1]  Sainz, Carlos; [1]  Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Univ. of Cantabria, Santander ES-39011 (Spain)]
  1. Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, 'Babes-Bolyai' University, Cluj-Napoca RO-400294 (Romania)
Publication Date:
Feb 15, 2013
Product Type:
Journal Article
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity; Journal Volume: 116; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2012 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; BUILDING MATERIALS; HYDROGEN IONS 1 MINUS; NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY; RADON; ROMANIA; SOILS; URANIUM
OSTI ID:
22147083
Country of Origin:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: ISSN 0265-931X; CODEN: JERAEE; Other: PII: S0265-931X(12)00231-7; TRN: GB13R2963101732
Availability:
Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2012.09.006
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
page(s) 174-179
Announcement Date:
Nov 14, 2013

Citation Formats

Cosma, Constantin, Cucos-Dinu, Alexandra, Papp, Botond, Begy, Robert, Sainz, Carlos, and Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Univ. of Cantabria, Santander ES-39011 (Spain)]. Soil and building material as main sources of indoor radon in Baita-Stei radon prone area (Romania). United Kingdom: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1016/J.JENVRAD.2012.09.006.
Cosma, Constantin, Cucos-Dinu, Alexandra, Papp, Botond, Begy, Robert, Sainz, Carlos, & Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Univ. of Cantabria, Santander ES-39011 (Spain)]. Soil and building material as main sources of indoor radon in Baita-Stei radon prone area (Romania). United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVRAD.2012.09.006
Cosma, Constantin, Cucos-Dinu, Alexandra, Papp, Botond, Begy, Robert, Sainz, Carlos, and Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Univ. of Cantabria, Santander ES-39011 (Spain)]. 2013. "Soil and building material as main sources of indoor radon in Baita-Stei radon prone area (Romania)." United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVRAD.2012.09.006.
@misc{etde_22147083,
title = {Soil and building material as main sources of indoor radon in Baita-Stei radon prone area (Romania)}
author = {Cosma, Constantin, Cucos-Dinu, Alexandra, Papp, Botond, Begy, Robert, Sainz, Carlos, and Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Univ. of Cantabria, Santander ES-39011 (Spain)]}
abstractNote = {Radon contributes to over than 50% of the natural radiation dose received by people. In radon risk areas this contribution can be as high as 90-95%, leading to an exposure to natural radiation 5-10 times higher than normal. This work presents results from radon measurements (indoor, soil and exhalation from building materials) in Baita-Stei, a former uranium exploitation area in NW Romania. In this region, indoor radon concentrations found were as high as 5000 Bq m{sup -3} and soil radon levels ranged from 20 to 500 kBq m{sup -3}. An important contribution from building materials to indoor radon was also observed. Our results indicate two independent sources of indoor radon in the surveyed houses of this region. One source is coming from the soil and regular building materials, and the second source being uranium waste and local radium reached material used in building construction. The soil as source of indoor radon shows high radon potential in 80% of the investigated area. Some local building materials reveal high radon exhalation rate (up to 80 mBq kg{sup -1} h{sup -1} from a sandy-gravel material, ten times higher than normal material). These measurements were used for the radon risk classification of this area by combining the radon potential of the soil with the additional component from building materials. Our results indicate that Baita-Stei area can be categorized as a radon prone area.}
doi = {10.1016/J.JENVRAD.2012.09.006}
journal = []
volume = {116}
journal type = {AC}
place = {United Kingdom}
year = {2013}
month = {Feb}
}