Mapping the Geogenic Radon Potential as a first step to define the Radon Priority Areas

Abstract

Radon (222Rn) is a radioactive gas considered the major source of ionizing radiation exposure for the population and several epidemiological studies provided evidence of its detrimental effects on human health. As a consequence, the World Health Organization classified this gas as the second cause of lung cancer after cigarettes smoking. A significant fraction of lung cancer can be attributed to the indoor Rn exposure, i.e. houses and workplace. In particular, Indoor Radon Concentration (IRC) is the product of the Geogenic Radon Potential (GRP), conceptualised as the contribution of Rn released by the Earth. Therefore, in the characterisation of the potential risk over an area is fundamental considering the geological constraints under the dwellings, the building styles and living habits. In Europe, the Basic Safety Standards Directive 2013/59/EURATOM aims to reduce the human exposure to Rn in houses and workplace, on the one hand fixing some reference values, on the other hand requiring to the European states to delineate the Radon Priority Areas (RPA), i.e. that areas where IRC exceed the European Directive reference value. In particular, mapping the GRP as an indicator of the Rn related hazard is fundamental for: (i) delineate the RPAs through the quantification of geogenic Rn, that can potentially influx within buildings; (ii) understand how GRP can affect the vulnerability over an area thus contributing to the Rn risk. In this study, we focused on mapping the GRP of a specific study area located in the Pusteria Valley (Bolzano province, eastern Italy). This area is well-known from a geological and structural point of view and it is characterised by a wide non-seismically active fault zone showing a very high gas permeability.  In particular, we have applied a machine learning technique (i.e. Forest Regression), to construct a high resolution (50 m*50 m) GRP map of the study area considering several proxy variables related to the Rn sources (e.g., radionuclide content in rocks), to the Tectonically Enhanced Radon (TER) quantity and to the exhalation process towards the atmosphere. Furthermore, we have assessed the vulnerability of the area by introducing the location of inhabited areas to provide a preliminary map of RPAs. Results show that dwellings characterised by high vulnerability are located in the area with the highest GRP. This work represents the first attempt in Italy to define the RPAs.