Measurements of indoor radon concentrations and assessment of radiation exposure

Abstract

In the past decade many international studies have established that the radioactive gas radon is responsible to a large extent for the radiation dose absorbed by the population. Consequently the Swiss Federal Health Office started and sponsored a research program called RAPROS (Radon Programm Schweiz, 1987–1991) to assess the relevant aspects of radon exposure in Switzerland. The average indoor radon concentration in Swiss living rooms is about 60–70 Bq m −3, this corresponds to an annual dose of about 2.2 mSv, but values largely exceeding 1000 Bq m −3 were also found. Often very strong temporal fluctuations of indoor radon concentrations were measured. The ground directly underneath buildings is the main radon source of indoor radon. The material properties that influence the radon production and transport in soils are: radium content, emanating coefficient and soil gas permeability; among them only the last one can vary over many orders of magnitude. The permeability is consequently the decisive factor that enables radon transport in the subsurface. To characterize the radon potential of soils a radon availability index ( rav) was introduced. Our investigations have also shown that in karst systems the radon concentration in the air is often increased to 10–100 times higher than in buildings. This radon-charged air is able to travel over considerable distances through faults and cavities in the underground and reach living rooms built over karstified areas.