Abstract
Considering the multitudes of people who spend their time working indoors in public premises and workplaces, it is worth knowing what their level of exposure is to natural radioactive radon gas, the second most widespread and dangerous carcinogen for lung cancer development after cigarette smoking. This state-level study covered most of the territory of Latvia and conducted 941 radon measurements with Radtrack2, placed for 4–6 months in the premises of public companies, educational institutions, medical care institutions, etc. The study found that 94.7% of samples did not exceed the national permissible limit (200 Bq/m3), the level at which preventive measures should be initiated. The median value of average specific radioactivity of radon in these premises was 48 Bq/m3 (Q1 and Q3 being 27 and 85 Bq/m3), which is below the average of the European region. Slightly higher concentrations were observed in well-insulated premises with plastic windows and poorer air exchange, mostly in schools (59 (36, 109) Bq/m3) and kindergartens (48 (32, 79) Bq/m3). Industrial workplaces had surprisingly low radon levels (28 (16, 55) Bq/m3) due to strict requirements for air quality and proper ventilation. Public premises and workplaces in Latvia mostly have low radon concentrations in the air, but more attention should be paid to adequate ventilation and air exchange.
Highlights
According to the list of cancerogenic compounds by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reports, radon gas has been acknowledged as the second major cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking [1]
Many more radon measurements were performed in these mines to support the hypothesis, it was not generally accepted until 1953, when, it was realised that radon was the cause of these lung cancers
The current study evaluated indoor air radon concentration of public buildings and workplaces at the national level according to Directive 2013/59/Euratom in light of the recommendations of world organisations to assess whether planning additional protective measures against radon is necessary for Latvia
Summary
According to the list of cancerogenic compounds by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reports, radon gas has been acknowledged as the second major cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking [1]. The permanent presence of radon in the air indoors can put people at risk for the development of airway malignancies. Considering the time spent indoors today by people both at work and during leisure periods, indoor air quality has an enormous impact on human health. The first radon measurements in certain premises were carried out by a Swedish researcher, Bengt Hultqvist, in 1956 and were launched and carried out at the same time in several countries [4]
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