Distribution and Characteristics of Radon Gas in Soil from a High-Background-Radiation City in China

Abstract

A soil survey using a portable radon monitor employing semiconductor alpha spectroscopy has been performed on a large scale to determine the distribution of radon in soil in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province. The survey with 469 sample sites covered an area of more than 100 km 2 . The average soil radon concentrations at a depth of 0.6 m were 55:94 AE 58:54 kBqm À3 in the Zhuhai Urban Area (ZUA) and 7:14 AE 8:75, 37:64 AE 25:92, and 151:25 AE 196:23 kBqm À3 , respectively, in the Quaternary sediment, mixtures of sediment and weather grain of granite, and weathered granite in Doumen District. The areas with high radon potential were located within areas of biotitic granites and new developing industrial districts, as indicated by a strong correlation between the radioactivity level and geological lithology. The mean radon concentration in ZUA is about ten times higher than those in Guangzhou City, Quanzhou City, and Jinjiang City. The results show that the Zhuhai area has a higher radon potential, and protective measures against radon should be considered.

Characteristics of Indoor and Soil Gas Radon, and Discussion on High Radon Potential in Urumqi, Xinjiang, NW China

“…Due to its large land area and budget constraints, China has not yet conducted a detailed national indoor radon assessment project, and research on radon potential mapping in China is generally insufficient. Since the late 1980s, studies have been conducted on radon and lung cancer, radon potential, and indoor radon levels in areas with high radon geological potential in southern China, such as Yangjiang, Shenzhen, Zhuhai in Guangdong Province, and Gejiu in Yunnan Province [11][12][13][14][15]. In Guangdong, the high indoor radon levels are mainly due to the widespread occurrence of Yanshanian period biotite granite with high uranium, radium, and thorium contents, while in Gejiu, it is mainly caused by the fragmentation of tin ore rocks and tin mining, resulting in high indoor radon and thoron concentrations [16,17].…”

Distribution of Radionuclides in the Surface Covering of the Barun Uranium Mining Area in Erlian Basin, Inner Mongolia

“…Soil radon concentration mainly depends on the content of uranium and radium in the soil. In addition, some studies have pointed out that soil humidity, soil porosity, and soil gas permeability are the key factors influencing soil radon concentration [14,15]. Due to the thick overburden layer on the surface of sandstone-type uranium deposits, the use of soil radon measurement for uranium exploration is greatly affected by surface coverings.…”

Indoor Air Radon Concentration in Premises of Public Companies and Workplaces in Latvia

“…Some scientific reports focused on the characteristics of the building, such as room types, floor levels, ventilation systems, building materials, type of building basement, type of windows (wooden, plastic, etc. ), type of plastering (insulation), building age, and others [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Because of the many factors that influence indoor radon concentrations, only real measurements of the radon concentrations can predict the radon hazard and supply a correct risk assessment.…”

“…Radon gas liberated into the environment can be a source of radioactive pollution. The main factors for the appearance of radon gas in the environment are the geological and granulometric composition of Quaternary deposits [ 17 ]. Considering the geological structure, radon propagation problems in Latvia could be regarded as non-essential.…”