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Calvente I, Núñez MI, Chahboun Karimi R, Villalba-Moreno J. Survey of Radon Concentrations in the University of Granada in Southern Spain. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18062885. [PMID: 33799905 PMCID: PMC7998808 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18062885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this pilot study was to gather and analyze data on radon concentrations in workplaces in three buildings of Granada University (Southern Spain) constructed in different centuries. All measurements were made at basement or ground floor level under normal use conditions except for one space (mineral store), in which measurements were compared between the door closed and open. Measurements were conducted during different time periods between October 2013 and March 2019 with a Radon-Scout PLUS portable Radonmonitor. The duration of continuous recordings at different sites ranged between 42 and 1104 h. Mean accumulated radon concentrations ranged between 12 and 95 Bq/m3, below the maximal level of 300 Bq/m3 set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Relatively high values were recorded in the oldest building (15th century), which was also poorly ventilated. Ventilation appeared to be an important factor in reducing radon levels, especially in areas less exposed to radon, such as Southern Spain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Calvente
- Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (I.C.); (J.V.-M.)
- Research Support Unit, Biosanitary Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), San Cecilio University Hospital of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - María Isabel Núñez
- Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (I.C.); (J.V.-M.)
- Research Support Unit, Biosanitary Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), San Cecilio University Hospital of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Biopathology and Regenerative Medicine Institute (IBIMER), University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-958-242-077
| | | | - Juan Villalba-Moreno
- Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (I.C.); (J.V.-M.)
- Radiological Protection Service, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain;
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Kwan WS, Nikezic D, Roy VAL, Yu KN. Multiple Stressor Effects of Radon and Phthalates in Children: Background Information and Future Research. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E2898. [PMID: 32331399 PMCID: PMC7215282 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The present paper reviews available background information for studying multiple stressor effects of radon (222Rn) and phthalates in children and provides insights on future directions. In realistic situations, living organisms are collectively subjected to many environmental stressors, with the resultant effects being referred to as multiple stressor effects. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can lead to lung cancers. On the other hand, phthalates are semi-volatile organic compounds widely applied as plasticizers to provide flexibility to plastic in consumer products. Links of phthalates to various health effects have been reported, including allergy and asthma. In the present review, the focus on indoor contaminants was due to their higher concentrations and to the higher indoor occupancy factor, while the focus on the pediatric population was due to their inherent sensitivity and their spending more time close to the floor. Two main future directions in studying multiple stressor effects of radon and phthalates in children were proposed. The first one was on computational modeling and micro-dosimetric studies, and the second one was on biological studies. In particular, dose-response relationship and effect-specific models for combined exposures to radon and phthalates would be necessary. The ideas and methodology behind such proposed research work are also applicable to studies on multiple stressor effects of collective exposures to other significant airborne contaminants, and to population groups other than children.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. S. Kwan
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China;
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - D. Nikezic
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, State University of Novi Pazar, Vuka Karadžića 9, RS-36300 Novi Pazar, Serbia;
- Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, R. Domanovica 12, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
| | | | - K. N. Yu
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China;
- State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
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Estimation of Seasonal Correction Factors for Indoor Radon Concentrations in Korea. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15102251. [PMID: 30326575 PMCID: PMC6210485 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15102251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Long-term exposure to high radon concentration exerts pathological effects and elicits changes in respiratory function, increasing an individual’s risk of developing lung cancer. In health risk assessment of indoor radon, consideration of long-term exposure thereto is necessary to identify a relationship between indoor radon exposure and lung cancer. However, measuring long-term indoor radon concentration can be difficult, and a statistical model for predicting mean annual indoor radon concentrations may be readily applicable. We investigated the predictability of mean annual radon concentrations using national data on indoor radon concentrations throughout the spring, summer, fall, and winter seasons in Korea. Indoor radon concentrations in Korea were highest in the winter and lowest in the summer. We derived seasonal correction and seasonal adjustment factors for each season based on the method proposed by previous study. However, these factors may not be readily applicable unless measured in a specific season. In this paper, we separate seasonal correction factors for each month of the year (new correction factors) based on correlations between indoor radon and meteorological factors according to housing type. To evaluate the correction factors, we assessed differences between estimated and measured mean annual radon concentrations. Roughly 97% of the estimated values were within ±40 Bq/m3 of actual measured values in detached houses, and roughly 85–87% of the estimated values were within ±40 Bq/m3 of the measured values in other residences. In most cases, the seasonal correction factors and the new correction factors had slightly better agreement than the seasonal adjustment factor. For predicting mean annual radon concentrations, the seasonal correction factors or seasonal adjustment factors can be of use when actual measurements of indoor radon concentrations for a specific season are available. Otherwise, the new correction factors may be more readily applicable.
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Simulation and experimental measurement of radon activity using a multichannel silicon-based radiation detector. Appl Radiat Isot 2018; 135:61-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2018.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Jeon HJ, Kang DR, Go SB, Park TH, Park SH, Kwak JE, Lee CM. A preliminary study for conducting a rational assessment of radon exposure levels. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:14491-14498. [PMID: 28447252 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9030-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the factors that go into a highly reliable estimate of radon exposure levels for use in setting up the case-control study. To this end, the present study conducted a multi-faceted investigation of the distribution of radon concentrations in the bedrooms and living rooms of 400 households in the target areas during the winter months from December 2014 to February 2015. We determined that taking the mean value of the radon concentration levels detected in the bedroom and living room as the representative value of residential concentration is appropriate, given the usability of previous research data and the difference in the concentration levels between the two. In terms of detector placement, we found that detectors should not inconvenience residents or be affected by an air current. Further, we found that housing type should distinguish between regular housing (single-detached, row, and multiplex housing) and apartments but that the building type was not a key factor in the assessment of radon exposure levels. Houses should be classified into those constructed with soil (red clay) and those with constructed with general building materials for the assessment of radon exposure levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung-Jin Jeon
- Korea Environmental Information Center, Korea Environment Institute, Sejong, 30147, South Korea
| | - Dae-Ryoung Kang
- Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Sang-Baek Go
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Seoul, 26493, South Korea
| | - Tae-Hyun Park
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seokyeong University, Seoul, 20713, South Korea
| | - Si-Hyun Park
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seokyeong University, Seoul, 20713, South Korea
| | - Jung-Eun Kwak
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seokyeong University, Seoul, 20713, South Korea
| | - Cheol-Min Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seokyeong University, Seoul, 20713, South Korea.
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Lee CM, Kwon MH, Kang DR, Park TH, Park SH, Kwak JE. Distribution of radon concentrations in child-care facilities in South Korea. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2017; 167:80-85. [PMID: 27998627 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study was conducted to provide fundamental data on the distribution of radon concentrations in child day-care facilities in South Korea and to help establish radon mitigation strategies. For this study, 230 child-care centers were randomly chosen from all child-care centers nationwide, and alpha track detectors were used to examine cumulative radon exposure concentrations from January to May 2015. The mean radon concentration measured in Korean child-care centers is approximately 52 Bq m-3, about one-third of the upper limit of 148 Bq m-3, which is recommended by South Korea's Indoor Air Quality Control in Public Use Facilities, etc. Act and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Furthermore, this concentration is about 50% lower than 102 Bq m-3, which is the measured concentration of radon in houses nationwide from December 2013 to February 2014. Our results indicate that the amount of ventilation, as a major determining factor for indoor radon concentrations, is strongly correlated with the fluctuation of indoor radon concentrations in Korean child-care centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheol-Min Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seokyeong University, South Korea.
| | - Myung-Hee Kwon
- National Institute of Environmental Research, South Korea
| | - Dae-Ryong Kang
- Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Ajou University, South Korea
| | - Tae-Hyun Park
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seokyeong University, South Korea
| | - Si-Hyun Park
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seokyeong University, South Korea
| | - Jung-Eun Kwak
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seokyeong University, South Korea
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Abstract
AbstractThis paper presents selected issues related to the use of 222Rn in therapeutic treatments. Radon is a radioactive element whose usage in medicine for more than 100 years is based on the radiation hormesis theory. However, owing to the radioactive character of this element and the fact that its alpha-radioactive decay is the source of other radionuclides, its therapeutic application has been raising serious doubts. The author points to potential sources and carriers of radon in the environment that could supply radon for use in a variety of therapies. Except for centuries-long tradition of using radon groundwaters, and later also the air in caves and underground workings, the author would also like to focus on soil air, which is still underestimated as a source of radon. The text presents different methods of obtaining this radioactive gas from groundwaters, the air in caves, mining galleries and soil air, and it presents new possibilities in this field. The author also discusses problems related to the transportation and storage of radon obtained from the environment.Within radon-prone areas, it is often necessary to de-radon groundwaters that are intended for human consumption and household usage. Also, dry radon wells are used to prevent radon migration from the ground into residential buildings. The author proposes using radon released from radon groundwaters and amassed in dry radon wells for radonotherapy treatments. Thanks to this, it is possible to reduce the cost of radiological protection of people within radon-prone areas while still exploiting the 222Rn obtained for a variety of therapies.With regard to the ongoing and still unsettled dispute concerning the beneficial or detrimental impact of radon on the human organism, the author puts special emphasis on the necessity of strictly monitoring both the activity concentration of 222Rn in media used for therapeutic treatments and of its radioactive decay products. Monitoring should be also extended to the environments in which such treatments are delivered (inhalatoriums, baths, saunas, showers, pools and other facilities), as well as to the patients – during and after the radonotherapy treatments. It is also essential to monitor the dose of radon and its daughters that is received by persons undergoing radon therapy. This should facilitate the assessment of the effectiveness of these treatments, which may contribute to a fuller understanding of the mechanisms of radon impact, and ionizing radiation in general, on the human organism. This will make it easier to ultimately confirm or reject the radiation hormesis theory. It is also essential to monitor the effective dose that is received by medical and technical staff employed to deliver the radonotherapy treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadeusz Andrzej Przylibski
- Division of Geology and Mineral Waters, Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Wrocław University of Technology, Wybrzeże S. Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
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Alshahri F, Alqahtani M. Radon Concentrations and Effective Radium Contents in Local and Imported Phosphate Fertilizers, Saudi Arabia. ARABIAN JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13369-015-1688-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Saad A, Al-Awami HH, Hussein N. Radon exhalation from building materials used in Libya. Radiat Phys Chem Oxf Engl 1993 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2014.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Measurement of 222Rn Concentration and Exhalation Rate from Phosphate Rocks Using SSBD Detector in Saudi Arabia. ARABIAN JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s13369-014-1108-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Néda T, Szakács A, Cosma C, Mócsy I. Radon concentration measurements in mofettes from Harghita and Covasna counties, Romania. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2008; 99:1819-1824. [PMID: 18783856 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2008.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2008] [Revised: 07/19/2008] [Accepted: 07/21/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In the Harghita volcanic range (Romania) there are many occurrences of dry CO(2) emanations, called mofettes. The emanating gas with high carbon dioxide content has a proved curative effect. The gas also contains important quantities of radon. Since the mofettes are used in curative purposes in several illnesses, in most of the cases without medical supervising, has been proposed to determine the radon activity concentration in some of the most frequented mofettes from Romania. The seasonal variations have also been monitored and were calculated the effective doses received by the patients during a cure. The radon activity concentrations' levels above the mofettes indoor air range between 548 and 10 717Bq/m(3) while within the gas pools' values between 3210 and 32 781Bq/m(3) have been measured. The effective dose received by the patients during a cure is between 0.0086 and 0.16mSv. No major seasonal variations of the radon activity concentrations levels have been pointed out so far in the studied mofettes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Néda
- Sapientia University, Department of Environmental Sciences, Romania.
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Saad A. Radium activity and radon exhalation rates from phosphate ores using CR-39 on-line with an electronic radon gas analyzer “Alpha GUARD”. RADIAT MEAS 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radmeas.2008.04.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Radon concentration levels in dry CO2 emanations from Harghita Băi, Romania, used for curative purposes. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-007-7169-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Singh S, Singh J, Singh L. The study of some common plaster coating materials and plastic foils as a barrier to radon. RADIAT MEAS 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radmeas.2005.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Singh S, Kumar M, Kumar Mahajan R. The study of indoor radon in dwellings of Bathinda district, Punjab, India and its correlation with uranium and radon exhalation rate in soil. RADIAT MEAS 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radmeas.2004.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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