Designing an Indoor Radon Risk Exposure Indicator (IRREI): An Evaluation Tool for Risk Management and Communication in the IoT Age

Abstract

The explosive data growth in the current information age requires consistent new methodologies harmonized with the new IoT era for data analysis in a space–time context. Moreover, intuitive data visualization is a central feature in exploring, interpreting, and extracting specific insights for subsequent numerical data representation. This integrated process is normally based on the definition of relevant metrics and specific performance indicators, both computed upon continuous real-time data, considering the specificities of a particular application case for data validation. This article presents an IoT-oriented evaluation tool for Radon Risk Management (RRM), based on the design of a simple and intuitive Indoor Radon Risk Exposure Indicator (IRREI), specifically tailored to be used as a decision-making aid tool for building owners, building designers, and buildings managers, or simply as an alert flag for the problem awareness of ordinary citizens. The proposed methodology was designed for graphic representation aligned with the requirements of the current IoT age, i.e., the methodology is robust enough for continuous data collection with specific Spatio-temporal attributes and, therefore, a set of adequate Radon risk-related metrics can be extracted and proposed. Metrics are summarized considering the application case, taken as a case study for data validation, by including relevant variables to frame the study, such as the regulatory International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) dosimetric limits, building occupancy (spatial dimension), and occupants’ exposure periods (temporal dimension). This work has the following main contributions: (1) providing a historical perspective regarding RRM indicator evolution along time; (2) outlining both the formulation and the validation of the proposed IRREI indicator; (3) implementing an IoT-oriented methodology for an RRM indicator; and (4) a discussion on Radon risk public perception, undertaken based on the results obtained after assessment of the IRREI indicator by applying a screening questionnaire with a total of 873 valid answers.

Impacts of Indoor Radon on Health: A Comprehensive Review on Causes, Assessment and Remediation Strategies

“…”, concluding that many segments of the population, especially younger individuals, and those with less education, do not know what radon is. Another study, presented by Lopes et al, confirms the results presented by Vogeltanz-Holm & Schwartz, through a survey of the Portuguese population, and where a significant majority of respondents say they have never heard of radon, and even those who did, presented a huge lack of knowledge of aspects related to the risk of exposure and its consequences [ 14 ]. Thus, it seems that there is still no awareness on the part of populations for the real effects of radon exposure, especially when this exposure occurs in an indoor environment not related to the mining activity, although there are already many and diverse studies that address residential radon exposure, specifically dedicated to lung cancer risk.…”

Understanding Seasonal Indoor Radon Variability from Data Collected with a LoRa-Enabled IoT Edge Device

“…The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology into the field of radon monitoring and management has seen a gradual rise, and it holds the potential to transform the way individuals view the associated risks of radon exposure [22]. This change is driven by the deployment of IoT devices for continuous monitoring, as well as the utilization of visual analytics to enhance risk perception, and by the creation of risk management tools suited for the IoT era, such as the Indoor Radon Risk Exposure Indicator (IRREI) proposed by Lopes et al [23,24]. The advancement of IoT-based system architectures for online radon monitoring and real-time risk management is crucial for improving indoor air quality and building energy efficiency as it enables the integration of sensors, computing, and communication capabilities into cost-effective, small-scale devices [25].…”

An Interweaving of Influences: How the Digital Environment Redefines Journalism

“…From a historical perspective, the study of radon exposure risk began with the coordinated action of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in the late 1950s in uranium mining communities. In 1958, the ICRP developed several recommendations related to whole body and extremity exposure to radon gas between 1928 and 1934 (Lopes et al 2021).…”