High variability of indoor radon concentrations in uraniferous bedrock areas in the Balkan region

Z S Žunić; P Ujić; L Nađđerđ; I V Yarmoshenko; S B Radanović; S Komatina Petrović; I Čeliković; M Komatina; P Bossew

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2014.08.018

High variability of indoor radon concentrations in uraniferous bedrock areas in the Balkan region

Appl Radiat Isot. 2014 Dec:94:328-337. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2014.08.018. Epub 2014 Sep 22.

Authors

Z S Žunić¹, P Ujić², L Nađđerđ¹, I V Yarmoshenko³, S B Radanović⁴, S Komatina Petrović⁵, I Čeliković¹, M Komatina⁵, P Bossew⁶

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Nuclear Sciences "Vinča", University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia.
² Institute of Nuclear Sciences "Vinča", University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: ujic@vinca.rs.
³ Institute of Industrial Ecology, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Sophy Kovalevskoy 20, 620990 Ekaterinburg, Russia.
⁴ Economic Association for Production, Processing and Transport, Kolubara Mining Basen Ltd., Lazarevac, Serbia.
⁵ Association of Geophysicists and Environmentalists of Serbia, Dimitrija Avramovića 38, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
⁶ Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (German Federal Office for Radiation Protection), Postfach 10 01 49, D-38201 Salzgitter, Germany.

PMID: 25305525
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2014.08.018

Abstract

In this work the strong influence of geological factors on the variability of indoor radon is found in two of three geologically very different regions of South-Eastern Europe. A method to estimate the annual mean concentration when one seasonal measurement is missing is proposed. Large differences of radon concentrations in different rooms of the same house and significant difference in radon concentrations in one season comparing it to the others are noted in certain cases. Geological factors that can lead to such behavior are discussed.

Keywords: Geological structure; Indoor radon; Indoor radon variations; Radon/groundwater migration; Uraniferous bedrock areas.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants, Radioactive / analysis*
Air Pollution, Indoor / analysis
Air Pollution, Indoor / statistics & numerical data*
Balkan Peninsula
Housing / statistics & numerical data*
Radiation Monitoring / statistics & numerical data*
Radon / analysis*
Reproducibility of Results
Seasons*
Sensitivity and Specificity
Uranium / analysis*

Substances

Air Pollutants, Radioactive
Uranium
Radon