Modelling the dispersion of radon-222 from a landform covered by low uranium grade waste rock

Doering, Che; McMaster, Scott A.; Johansen, Mathew P.

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.07.024

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 5 publications

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“…Gaseous radon isotopes arise from decaying uranium, thorium and radium-containing minerals in bedrock, surficial materials and groundwater that are prevalent globally 1,9 . First order estimations of radon potential have been classified previously based on radiometric data derived from uranium and thorium radionuclide content of bedrock lithology, surficial materials, groundwater, structures and anthropogenic activity 10,11 . There are positive correlations in uranium (ppm), estimated from airborne radiometric and direct indoor measurements, that additionally account for permeability factors in the assessment of radon mobility in surficial materials (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radon exposure is rising steadily within the modern North American residential environment, and is increasingly uniform across seasons

Stanley

Irvine

Jacques

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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Human-made buildings can artificially concentrate radioactive radon gas of geologic origin, exposing occupants to harmful alpha particle radiation emissions that damage DNA and increase lung cancer risk. We examined how North American residential radon exposure varies by modern environmental design, occupant behaviour and season. 11,727 residential buildings were radon-tested using multiple approaches coupled to geologic, geographic, architectural, seasonal and behavioural data with quality controls. Regional residences contained 108 Bq/m3 geometric mean radon (min < 15 Bq/m3; max 7,199 Bq/m3), with 17.8% ≥ 200 Bq/m3. Pairwise analysis reveals that short term radon tests, despite wide usage, display limited value for establishing dosimetry, with precision being strongly influenced by time of year. Regression analyses indicates that the modern North American Prairie residential environment displays exceptionally high and worsening radon exposure, with more recent construction year, greater square footage, fewer storeys, greater ceiling height, and reduced window opening behaviour all associated with increased radon. Remarkably, multiple test approaches reveal minimal winter-to-summer radon variation in almost half of properties, with the remainder having either higher winter or higher summer radon. This challenges the utility of seasonal correction values for establishing dosimetry in risk estimations, and suggests that radon-attributable cancers are being underestimated.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%