Radon buildup in dwellings, spas and caves: Facts and interpretations

Abstract

© 2015 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Radon as a natural radioactive gas, the daughter nucleus of the long lived 238U is present in all parts of nature. Although its concentration in open air is very low and contributes negligibly to health risk, underground or in closed spaces radon might be a serious health risk problem. This was emphasized a long time ago, and a series of radon mapping measurements and legislatives have been established in the meantime. Despite the fact that radon levels in dwellings are usually limited to about 300 Bq/m3, lot of spas use much higher radon levels (about 10,000 Bq/m3) for medical purposes. A lot of experimental techniques and methods have been adopted for radon measurements. For long time measurements (about 6 months) usually solid-state track detectors are used. Alpha spectroscopy combined with radon samplers is a method for determination of temporary radon concentrations in air, water and soil gas. Frequently, activated charcoal can be exploited for radon sampling from the air, followed by gamma spectroscopy determination of radon concentration. In the chapter the experimental results of the Novi Sad Nuclear Physics Group are presented and compared with worldwide published results. The associated health effects are estimated and discussed.