Designing an Indoor Radon Risk Exposure Indicator (IRREI): An Evaluation Tool for Risk Management and Communication in the IoT Age.

Sérgio Ivan Lopes,António Curado,Leonel J R Nunes

doi:10.3390/ijerph18157907

Abstract

The explosive data growth in the current information age requires consistent new methodologies harmonized with the new IoT era for data analysis in a space–time context. Moreover, intuitive data visualization is a central feature in exploring, interpreting, and extracting specific insights for subsequent numerical data representation. This integrated process is normally based on the definition of relevant metrics and specific performance indicators, both computed upon continuous real-time data, considering the specificities of a particular application case for data validation. This article presents an IoT-oriented evaluation tool for Radon Risk Management (RRM), based on the design of a simple and intuitive Indoor Radon Risk Exposure Indicator (IRREI), specifically tailored to be used as a decision-making aid tool for building owners, building designers, and buildings managers, or simply as an alert flag for the problem awareness of ordinary citizens. The proposed methodology was designed for graphic representation aligned with the requirements of the current IoT age, i.e., the methodology is robust enough for continuous data collection with specific Spatio-temporal attributes and, therefore, a set of adequate Radon risk-related metrics can be extracted and proposed. Metrics are summarized considering the application case, taken as a case study for data validation, by including relevant variables to frame the study, such as the regulatory International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) dosimetric limits, building occupancy (spatial dimension), and occupants’ exposure periods (temporal dimension). This work has the following main contributions: (1) providing a historical perspective regarding RRM indicator evolution along time; (2) outlining both the formulation and the validation of the proposed IRREI indicator; (3) implementing an IoT-oriented methodology for an RRM indicator; and (4) a discussion on Radon risk public perception, undertaken based on the results obtained after assessment of the IRREI indicator by applying a screening questionnaire with a total of 873 valid answers.

Highlights

Radon gas (Rn-222) is a common pollutant in indoor air that was classified as a carcinogenic agent to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)as part of Group 1 and as a Group A carcinogen by the US Environmental ProtectionAgency (US EPA) [1,2,3]
The results obtained in the analysis of Question 5 show that, the symbolizing low risk or high risk, have long been established and are part of knowledge figures presented the same level of risk, 56.5% of the respondents opted for option (b), and common sense
The results obtained in the analysis of Question 5 show that, which presents the point corresponding to the level of risk in the red zone, followed by the figures presented the same level of risk, 56.5% of the respondents opted for option (b), answer (c), withpresents

Summary

Introduction

Agency (US EPA) [1,2,3] Despite other perceptions, such as those described in several studies, and such as those presented by Cohen (1995), Becker (2004), Thompson et al (2008), Int. J. The present study aims to analyze the knowledge about the existence and effects of Radon, mainly in closed spaces, through the evaluation of the concepts disseminated and transmitted essentially by the media, and the current state of perception ofQuestion them by the potentially exposed populations. The present study aims to analyze the knowledge about the existence and effects of Radon, mainly in closed spaces, through the common pollutant. Evaluation of the concepts disseminated and transmitted essentially by the media, and the current state of perception of them by the.

Methods

Results

Conclusion