The relation between radon in schools and in dwellings: A case study in a rural region of Southern Serbia

Žunić, Zora S.; Bossew, Peter; Bochicchio, Francesco; Veselinović, N.; Carpentieri, C.; Venoso, Gennaro; Antignani, Sara; Simovic, R.; Ćurguz, Zoran; Udovičić, V.; Stojanovska, Zdenka; Tollefsen, Tore

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.11.024

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Among non-European countries, radon concentrations above the reference level were recorded in 51% of dwellings studied in bauxite-bearing areas of southern Adamawa in Cameroon [32]. In an investigation in a rural region of Southern Serbia, Žunić et al reported mean indoor radon levels ranging between 39 and 202 Bq/m 3 in schools and between 42 and 101 Bq/m 3 in dwellings [33]. Mean findings were generally lower in the present study, although they were higher than might have been expected given the geology of the area and previous findings of lower levels in Southern Spain (Figure 1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Survey of Radon Concentrations in the University of Granada in Southern Spain

Calvente

Núñez

Karimi

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The objective of this pilot study was to gather and analyze data on radon concentrations in workplaces in three buildings of Granada University (Southern Spain) constructed in different centuries. All measurements were made at basement or ground floor level under normal use conditions except for one space (mineral store), in which measurements were compared between the door closed and open. Measurements were conducted during different time periods between October 2013 and March 2019 with a Radon-Scout PLUS portable Radonmonitor. The duration of continuous recordings at different sites ranged between 42 and 1104 h. Mean accumulated radon concentrations ranged between 12 and 95 Bq/m3, below the maximal level of 300 Bq/m3 set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Relatively high values were recorded in the oldest building (15th century), which was also poorly ventilated. Ventilation appeared to be an important factor in reducing radon levels, especially in areas less exposed to radon, such as Southern Spain.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Survey of Radon Concentrations in the University of Granada in Southern Spain

Calvente

Núñez

Karimi

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…Our findings are similar to the study in Sevier County, Utah, in which average radon concentrations (37 Bq/m 3 (1.0 pCi/L)) for all three schools were less than the average (181.30 Bq/m 3 [4.9 pCi/L]) for homes in the same communities [21]. The spatial relationship between residential and school radon concentrations is a topic of ongoing study that may allow for the future development of mathematical models or refined geospatial maps that more accurately identify radon-prone areas [22,23]; however, there is currently a paucity of data in this area. Kitto [24] found no correlation between residential and school radon concentrations in New York State when comparing schools to homes in the same towns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations Between School Characteristics and Classroom Radon Concentrations in Utah’s Public Schools: A Project Completed by University Environmental Health Students

Davis

Chausow

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Radon (²²²Rn), a radioactive gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. Classroom radon concentrations in public schools in our target area had never been measured or had not been measured in many years. We had university students, primarily enrolled in environmental health courses, measure radon concentrations in 2289 classrooms in 66 of Utah’s public schools and identify school characteristics associated with classroom radon concentrations. The geometric mean (GM) classroom radon concentration was 31.39 (95% confidence interval (CI): 27.16, 36.28) Bq/m3 (GM: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.98 pCi/L). Thirty-seven (2%) classrooms in 13 (20%) schools had radon concentrations at or above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommended action level of 148 Bq/m3 (4.0 pCi/L). Number of classrooms had a u-shaped association with classroom radon concentrations. The year the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system was installed was inversely associated with having classroom radon concentrations at or above the EPA’s recommended action level. Number of classrooms and number of students had u-shaped associations with having classroom radon concentrations at or above the EPA’s recommended action level. Classroom radon concentrations decreased when schools’ HVAC systems were on. Replacing HVAC systems and turning/keeping them on may be effective radon mitigation strategies to prevent radon-associated lung cancer, especially for small and large schools.

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“…Previous indoor radon surveys pointed out a different distribution of indoor radon levels in DW and WP located at the same area and thus subject to the same geogenic radon influence. In some cases, WPs seem to have higher radon levels compared with DW (4,5), whereas in other cases opposite conclusions were drawn (6). This can be a consequence of different construction styles, different occupation factors, intended use and different 'building physics' in terms of air circulation.…”

Section: T He European Basic Safety Standards (Eu Bss)mentioning

confidence: 92%

Radon levels in dwellings and workplaces: a comparison with data from some European countries

Trevisi

Leonardi

Buresti

et al. 2022

radon

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Background: According to 2013 European Basic Safety Standards (EU BSS), legal and administrative consequences of having an area declared as radon priority area (RPA) concern workplaces (WP) and public buildings, as well as dwellings (DW). However, RPAs in many cases are defined as higher levels of indoor radon in DW. The reason is that most data are available for DW. So far, indoor radon data for WP (except for schools) and public buildings are scarce. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare indoor radon levels in DW and WP in a given area and to evaluate whether they have different distributions and different average levels. Design: Austria, Finland, Germany, and Italy provided indoor radon data on DW and WP. Data related to WP were aggregated in the same grid, as already done for data on DW, to update the European Indoor Radon Map. Based on 10 km × 10 km grid cells, the same statistics are computed for both datasets. Thus, two structurally equal datasets for each country were generated to be statistically compared. Results and conclusions: Generally, there are numerous indoor radon data on DW than data on WP. Statistical analysis suggests that in all the countries, indoor radon levels – in terms of arithmetic mean (AM) of the natural logarithm-transformed data – in WP and DW are statistically different (P < 0.05), as well as from those referring to schools. The difference in distributions is neither attributable to the effect of geology nor to the effect of different sample sizes. The correlation between aggregated data is positive in the sense that if the mean (over grid cells) radon concentration increases in DW, it increases in WP as well. Compared with DW, in all countries indoor radon levels in WP seem to be statistically different, but the results are not enough to draw final conclusions: on-purpose designed surveys could be a useful tool to better understand this phenomenon.

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The relation between radon in schools and in dwellings: A case study in a rural region of Southern Serbia

Cited by 11 publications

References 26 publications

Survey of Radon Concentrations in the University of Granada in Southern Spain

Survey of Radon Concentrations in the University of Granada in Southern Spain

Associations Between School Characteristics and Classroom Radon Concentrations in Utah’s Public Schools: A Project Completed by University Environmental Health Students

Radon levels in dwellings and workplaces: a comparison with data from some European countries

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