Spatial relationships between radon and topographical, geological, and geochemical factors and their relevance in all of South Korea

Cho, Byong-Wook; Choo, Chang Oh; Kim, Moon Su; Hwang, Jisub; Yun, Uk; Lee, Saro

doi:10.1007/s12665-015-4526-0

Cited by 29 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…There are different types of rock units in the study areas including Triassic granites (Trgr); Quaternary terrace sediments (Qt); Carboniferous conglomerate sandstones and shales (C); and basalts and tuffs (DCv), that influences the radon in the study areas. Cho 30 reported that the granitic gneiss such as Trgr, has the highest frequency ratios for high radon levels while sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks, anorthosite, and some metasedimentary rocks (such as Qt, C and DCv), have low frequency ratios and low radon levels. In addition, areas of steep slopes and high elevation, like Pa Miang (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying indoor radon sources in Pa Miang, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thumvijit

Chanyotha

Sriburee

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Radon is the leading source of lung cancer mortality after smoking in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Finding a source of carcinogens is one of the important measures for preventing the cancer risk for this region. Specific sites at Pa Miang, Doi Saket have the highest incidences of lung cancer and have a combination of factors that influence indoor radon concentration. Our study identified the sources of indoor radon within several houses. The results indicate that geological and topographic characteristics, including active faults and mountain terraces, are the main sources of indoor radon, especially for wooden houses. Besides building materials, the design of the houses, ventilation conditions, and lifestyle choices are all factors influencing indoor radon concentrations and its associated risk. Although radon levels (29–101 Bq m−3) and total indoor annual effective doses (0.9–3.8 mSv year−1) received from all sources at these sites have shown no significant health risk due to radon exposure , this investigation will be useful as a starting point to guide strategies to respond and prevent the risk of lung cancer, especially in Chiang Mai.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying indoor radon sources in Pa Miang, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thumvijit

Chanyotha

Sriburee

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…Radon, which has a half-life of 3.8 days, is an inert, radioactive gas that basically originates from the decay of radium. Many studies have reported higher uranium and radon concentrations in groundwater in granitic terrains [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Higher radon concentrations are commonly detected in areas underlain by granites that usually contain more uranium than other rock types [8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many studies have reported higher uranium and radon concentrations in groundwater in granitic terrains [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Higher radon concentrations are commonly detected in areas underlain by granites that usually contain more uranium than other rock types [8][9][10]. The radon concentration in groundwater generally increases with an increase in the uranium content of the soil and bedrock [11,12], but is highly variable, depending on aquifer characteristics, bedrock geology, water chemistry, and good conditions [4,13,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For radon analyses, special care was taken to prevent air bubbles by turbulent flow or contact with air, which may cause a loss of radon gas during sampling. As described in the previous works [4,[8][9][10], 8 mL groundwater was taken and injected into vials. Each vial contained 12 mL high-efficiency scintillation solution (Optiphase HiSafe3, PerkinElmer, Waltham, MA, USA).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geochemical Behavior of Uranium and Radon in Groundwater of Jurassic Granite Area, Icheon, Middle Korea

Cho

Choo

2019

Water

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Uranium concentrations (a total of 82 samples) in groundwater in Icheon, middle Korea, showed a wide range from 0.02 to 1640 μg/L with a mean of 56.77 μg/L, a median of 3.03 μg/L, and a standard deviation of 228.63 μg/L. Most groundwater samples had quite low concentrations: 32.9% were below 1 μg/L, while 15.9% exceeded 30 μg/L, the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Radon concentrations also ranged widely from 1.48 to 865.8 Bq/L. Although the standard deviation of radon was large (151.8 Bq/L), the mean was 211.29 Bq/L and the median was 176.86 Bq/L. Overall, 64.6% of the samples exceeded the alternative maximum contaminant level (AMCL) of the US EPA (148 Bq/L). According to statistical analyses, there was no close correlations between uranium and radon, but there were correlations between uranium and redox potential (Eh) (−0.54), dissolved oxygen (DO) (−0.50), HCO3− (0.45), Sr (0.65), and SiO2 (−0.44). Radon showed independent behavior with respect to most components in groundwater. Uranium concentrations in groundwater increased with increasing water–rock interactions. Anomalously high uranium and radon concentrations in groundwater are preferentially localized in granite areas and spatial distributions are remarkably heterogeneous.

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“…The geological structure of the Korean peninsula is the most important factor determining the origin and distribution of radon, in relation to the bedrock type. 9 10 In the Republic of Korea (Korea), the distribution of granite tends to coincide with that of the Gangwon-do and Chungcheong-do regions, the surface soil of which have high radon concentrations. The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCER) estimated the population-weighted average indoor radon concentration in the world to be 30 Bq/m 3 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Disease Burden of Lung Cancer Attributable to Residential Radon Exposure in Korean Homes

Kim

2018

J Korean Med Sci

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BackgroundResidential radon exposure is known to be an important risk factor for the development of lung cancer. The objective of this study was to calculate the disease burden of lung cancer attributable to residential radon exposure in Korea.MethodsWe calculated the national exposure level using Korean national radon survey data from 2011 to 2014, and house structure distribution data from each administrative region. Using the exposure-risk function, the population attributable fraction (PAF) was calculated and applied to calculate the disease burden for lung cancer attributable to residential radon exposure.ResultsResidential radon exposure levels were the highest, at 116.4 ± 50.4 Bq/m3 (annual mean radon concentration ± standard deviation) in detached houses, followed by 74.1 ± 30.0 Bq/m3 in the multi-family dwellings, and 55.9 ± 21.1 Bq/m3 in apartments. The PAF for lung cancer, due to long-term radon exposure in Korean homes, was 6.6% and 4.7% in men and women, respectively. The total disease burden of lung cancer attributable to residential radon exposure was 14,866 years of life lost (YLL) and 1,586 years lost due to disability (YLD) in 2013. Overall, 1,039 deaths occurred due to residential radon exposure, of which 828 were in men and 211 in women.ConclusionThe smoking rate of men in Korea exceeded 70% in the 1990s, and is still near 40%. Although the size of the effect varies depending on the estimation method, it is a critical aspect as a risk factor of lung cancer because of the synergistic relationship between smoking and radon exposure. Because the Korean society is rapidly aging, population who were formerly heavy-smokers are entering a high-risk age of lung cancer. Therefore, it is necessary to inform the public about the health benefits of reduced radon exposure and to strengthen the risk communication.

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Spatial relationships between radon and topographical, geological, and geochemical factors and their relevance in all of South Korea

Cited by 29 publications

References 33 publications

Identifying indoor radon sources in Pa Miang, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Identifying indoor radon sources in Pa Miang, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Geochemical Behavior of Uranium and Radon in Groundwater of Jurassic Granite Area, Icheon, Middle Korea

The Disease Burden of Lung Cancer Attributable to Residential Radon Exposure in Korean Homes

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