Factors Affecting Indoor Radon Levels in Buildings Located in a Karst Area: A Statistical Analysis

In this paper, the averages annual radon concentrations in buildings placed in a karst area are analyzed in order to understand which factors may affect the occurrence of high levels of radon indoor. Statistical analysis on the radon dataset is performed using analytical factors described by two or three levels according to the characteristic of the measured buildings. The factors that determine higher radon levels in terms of arithmetic mean (AM) at ground floor (GF) are mainly the presence of sedimentary calcareous rock (SCR) in walls and the direct attack or crawl space as type of foundation. At first floors (FF), the presence of walls of only SCR showed radon levels higher (in terms of AM) than the one found for walls of mixed typology. These outcomes suggest that in karstic area buildings with SCR as the main construction material and direct attack or crawl space as the type of foundation, can be considered as radon-prone buildings. Moreover, this study confirms the need to measure radon levels not only at below ground floor and at GF, but also at FF and above for buildings in karst areas with construction materials including SCR blocks

Similarities and differences between radon surveys across Europe: results from MetroRADON questionnaire

Background: As a major cause of lung cancer after smoking, indoor radon is a hazard for human health. Key steps of radon surveys are numerous and include metrology, survey design, development of maps, communication of results to stakeholders, etc. The Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM introduced new challenges for European Union Member States, such as the identification of radon priority areas, which calls for efforts to improve all the key steps involved in radon surveys. Objective: This study aims to compare existing radon measurement procedures between different European countries and to use the results to optimize the consistency of indoor radon data across Europe. Design: A questionnaire was developed and sent to more than 70 European institutions working in this field to collect information on indoor radon surveys carried out in the respective countries, in order to identify the rationale and methodologies used. Results: A total of 56 questionnaire forms on indoor radon surveys were completed and returned by universities, research institutions, and competent authorities on national and regional surveys from 24 European countries. The replies have been analyzed, and the main findings have been reported, although these replies did not allow to answer all the questions about comparability. Conclusions: From the replies given by the respondents, there is evidence that European indoor radon surveys are comparable regarding measurement methods but not comparable regarding the survey design. Comparability regarding data management, statistical treatment, aggregation, and mapping is unclear on the basis of the replies putting in evidence the need of further information

Radiological Protection in Industries Involving NORM: A (Graded) Methodological Approach to Characterize the Exposure Situations

The interest in radiation protection in industrial sectors involving Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) is increasingly growing. This is due also to the recent implementation of the European Council Directive 59/2013/Euratom which in Italy and in the other European Union Member States extends the field of application to industrial sectors never involved before. This paper reports main results of a research project on radiation protection in industries involving NORM carried out in Italy aimed to provide useful tools for stakeholders to comply new legal obligations. The project activities were mainly focused on different aspects relevant to the NORM involving industries, accounting for the positive list reported in the Italian law. Firstly, the inventory of the industries currently operating in Italy in order to identify the industrial sectors with an important radiological impact on population and workers was updated. Based on this information, a general methodology was elaborated taking into account a graded approach. The first phase consists in the identification and characterization of the most critical exposure scenarios and of the radiological content of NORMs involved in the different phases of the industrial processes. In the second phase calculation methods were developed for dose estimation for workers and members of public. These tools require the use of existing and well tested calculation codes, and the development of a dedicated user-friendly software

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

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

On harmonization of radon maps

Background: Maps are important tools for geographic visualization of the state of the environment with respect to resources as well as to hazards. One of the hazards is indoor radon (Rn), believed to be the most important cause of lung cancer after smoking. In particular, as part of Rn mitigation policy and in compliance with the European Basic Safety Standards, EU Member States have to declare areas with elevated indoor Rn concentration levels. However, as this is done by national authorities according to individually chosen criteria, the resulting maps are not easily comparable.Objective: We aim to identify causes for the lack of compatibility of maps and suggest solutions for the problem.Design: This study draws from experiences of recent research projects, literature, and personal involvement of the authors in the discussions.Results: An overview is given on causes and effects of lack of compatibility between maps. Existing experiences are reported. Options for defining lack of compatibility and for identifying it are discussed. Methods for harmonization, that is, remediating lack of compatibility, are addressed.Conclusions: The difficulty of harmonization increases with the aggregation level of data which support maps. Harmonization is the more difficult, the higher aggregated the data are which support maps. In particular, harmonization of radon priority area maps is technically non-trivial, and theoretical efforts as well as practical tests will have to be undertaken.Special issue - European Radon Week 202

La radioprotezione applicata alle industrie NORM: sviluppo di un sistema di strumenti metodologici, conoscitivi e formativi a sostegno degli stakeholders. Stato dell’arte del progetto di INAIL

Con il recepimento della Direttiva Europea 59/2013 EURATOM, la normativa italiana di radioprotezione ha introdotto nuovi obblighi per gli esercenti di diversi settori industriali “NORM”. Per sostenere l’assolvimento di tali obblighi che garantiscono la protezione di lavoratori e popolazione, dal 2019 è in corso un progetto di ricerca, nell’ambito del quale sono state realizzate diverse attività. Alcune di esse hanno avuto sviluppi anche in ambito internazionale, a testimonianza di quanto questa tematica sia di grande interesse. Lo scopo del presente lavoro è presentare i nuovi risultati del progetto, dall’aggiornamento del censimento dei settori NORM attualmente attivi in Italia, all’ applicazione e declinazione dell’approccio graduale per l’individuazione di situazioni di particolare interesse dal punto di vista della radioprotezione, fino allo sviluppo di metodologie operative e di calcolo applicate ad alcuni settori

Sviluppo di protocolli di campionamento e di valutazione della dose per settori industriali con presenza di NORM

Nell’ambito delle attività del progetto INAIL - BRIC ID 30 “Protocolli operativi e metodologie di calcolo per l’attuazione della nuova normativa di radioprotezione, recepimento della Direttiva 59/2013/Euratom, in settori industriali NORM di particolare impatto radiologico”, è stato sviluppato un approccio metodologico per gli adempimenti previsti dall’art. 22 del D.lgs. 101/2020. Una proposta di protocollo per la misura della concentrazione di attività delle matrici e per la valutazione della dose efficace per lavoratori e popolazione è stata elaborata per il settore della produzione di cemento e per l’industria dello zircone e zirconio

Radiazioni ionizzanti naturali: la protezione dal radon ed il Piano Nazionale d'Azione per il Radon

La trasposizione delle BSS con il DLgs101/2020 ha fortemente modificato il sistema regolatorio nazionale in merito di protezione dalle radiazioni ionizzanti. La protezione dal radon è regolata dal Capo I, articolato in diverse Sezioni per fornire indicazioni per la protezione dall’esposizione al radon negli ambienti di vita e di lavoro. Il complesso articolato è supportato da molte indicazioni tecniche descritte nell’Allegato II, che fanno tesoro dell’esperienza pregressa. Il DLgs101/2020 ha molto rafforzato la connessione con il DLgs81/08 e anche questo favorirà una più efficace protezione dei lavoratori dai rischi connessi al radon. La realizzazione del PNAR darà sostegno alle disposizioni sul radon: le molteplici Azioni previste garantiranno ai diversi stakeholders la disponibilità di strumenti scientifici, tecnici, informativi, formativi e divulgativi. L’efficacia del PNAR sarà attentamente monitorata mediante opportuni indicatori e target di risultato, e cronoprogrammi . Ulteriori dettagli sono illustrati nell'articol

Radiazioni ionizzanti naturali: i NORM ed il progetto europeo RadoNorm

La protezione dei lavoratori e degli individui della popolazione dall’esposizione ai radionuclidi naturali presenti nelle materie e nei residui in relazione ad alcuni settori industriali NORM è stata rafforzata in Italia con l’entrata in vigore del D.lgs.101/2020 di recepimento della Direttiva 59/2013/Euratom. I settori industriali coinvolti dalla normativa italiana sono elencati nell’allegato II del d.lgs.101/2020 e sono disciplinati dal Titolo IV. Con esso sono state introdotte importanti novità di interesse per le industrie NORM, a partire dal fatto che esse sono classificate come “pratiche”, con diverse opportunità di esenzione. Il D.lgs.101/2020 ha introdotto una classificazione dei residui NORM al fine di disciplinare il loro allontanamento in base al contenuto radiologico. In Italia, un progetto di ricerca promosso da INAIL sarà di supporto agli stakeholders italiani mettendo a disposizione strumenti tecnici, come protocolli di campionamento, modelli semplificati per la stima della dose, ecc. e strumenti formativi e informativi, basati sulla raccolta di informazioni in una banca dati online. In ambito europeo, è in corso un progetto di ricerca, denominato “RadoNorm”, della durata di cinque anni, che affronterà, oltre al Radon, la tematica dei NORM

Alkali-activated concrete with Serbian fly ash and its radiological impact

The present paper reports the results of a study on different types of fly ash from Serbian coal burning power plants and their potential use as a binder in alkali-activated concrete (AAC) depending on their radiological and mechanical properties. Five AAC mixtures with different types of coal burning fly ash and one type of blast furnace slag were designed. Measurements of the activity concentrations of K-40, Ra-226 and Th-232 were done both on concrete constituents (fly ash, blast furnace slag and aggregate) and on the five solid AAC samples. Experimental results were compared by using the activity concentration assessment tool for building materials - the activity concentration index I, as introduced by the EU Basic Safety Standards (CE, 2014). All five designed alkali-activated concretes comply with EU BSS screening requirements for indoor building materials. Finally, index I values were compared with the results of the application of a more accurate index - I(pd), which accounts for thickness and density of building materials (Nuccetelli et al., 2015a). Considering the actual density and thickness of each concrete sample index - I(pd) values are lower than index I values. As an appendix, a synthesis of main results concerning mechanical and chemical properties is provided.Peer-reviewed manuscript: [http://grafar.grf.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1714