Abstract
Much of the population living in the Czech Republic is exposed to radiation from natural sources, especially to the radon effect. The aim of geological research defined by the State Office for Nuclear Safety (SONS) was to detect areas with estimated high radon concentration in soil gas. A uniform method of measurements and uniform methodology of radon risk category assessment of geological units and a centralized radon database was established. Radon risk classification was based on statistical evaluation of soil gas radon concentration and permeability in investigated geological units. Prognostic radon risk maps in various scales were the main outputs of this research. With the help of GIS tools spatial analyses were found a correlation between soil gas radon values in selected geological units and indoor measurements in dwellings. After verification of the efficiency of track etch detectors placed in dwellings with the help of prognostic maps 75% reliability of these maps was proven. This reliability of analyses induced the SONS to widely use radon risk maps to determine areas with predicted high radon risk category.
Highlights
The Czech Geological Survey (CGS) has been participating in solving the problems of the inhabitants’ irradiation caused by natural radionuclides since 1990 (Barnet, 1996).The Radon Programme of the Czech Republic (CR) started within the scope of the Governmental Decision No 538 in 1999
The main target of research work was to process all data and information from available databases and approve the existing relationship between increased indoor radon values and rock types in bedrock considering that a significant part of the territory of the CR is formed by the Bohemian Massif, which belongs to the European Variscan belt represented by the Proterozoic and pre-Variscan Paleozoic crystalline basement. (Mísar et al, 1983)
The data processing based on vectorized geological maps was proven as a highly efficient and relevant tool for determination areas where increased indoor radon values caused by radon exhalation from bedrock can be detected
Summary
The Czech Geological Survey (CGS) has been participating in solving the problems of the inhabitants’ irradiation caused by natural radionuclides since 1990 (Barnet, 1996). The Radon Programme of the Czech Republic (CR) started within the scope of the Governmental Decision No 538 in 1999. Present research on radionuclides in dwellings has revealed that the CR is one of the countries with the highest level of average 222Rn concentration in buildings. A number of houses above the guidance level of 200 Bqm–3 of equilibrium equivalent concentration being detected in the last five years is given in table I. The main target of research work was to process all data and information from available databases and approve the existing relationship between increased indoor radon values and rock types in bedrock considering that a significant part of the territory of the CR is formed by the Bohemian Massif, which belongs to the European Variscan belt represented by the Proterozoic and pre-Variscan Paleozoic crystalline basement. Similar studies were performed by Kies et al (1996), Kemski et al (2000), Popit and Vaupotic (2002)
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