重庆市主城区室内氡浓度调查与评价

根据重庆市城市组团式建设特点,采用径迹法对重庆市主城建成区开展室内氡浓度调查。结果表明,各区县室内氡浓度整体水平较低,重庆市主城区室内氡浓度平均值为64.5 Bq/m3,168个采样点均小于国家标准200 Bq/m3;吸入氡及子体对人员产生的年均有效剂量均低于《住房内氡浓度控制标准》和《地下建筑氡及其子体控制标准规定》中规定的室内氡浓度行动水平。     

Gamma dose measurement in dwellings of Agastheeswaram Taluk of Kanyakumari district, lying 30 km Radius from Kudankulam nuclear power plant site

Most of the building materials contain naturally occurring radioactive elements, the most important of which are potassium ⁴⁰K and the members of two natural radioactive series, which can be represented by the isotopes of thorium ²³²Th and Uranium ²³⁸U. The presence of these radioisotopes in the materials causes external exposure to the people who live in the building. In addition, the disintegration of Uranium ²³⁸U increases the concentration of radon gas ²²²Rn and of its daughters in the house. So a systematic indoor gamma dose measurement has been performed in the dwellings of Agastheeswaram Taluk of Kanyakumari district, which is lying within the 30 km radius from the upcoming Kudankulam nuclear power plant site. The geometric mean of annual absorbed dose from gamma radiation in dwellings has been found to be 278 nGyh⁻¹. The seasonal variation of indoor gamma dose measurements has also been studied. Significant differences have been observed in dwellings built of different materials such as concrete, tiled, etc.     

贵阳室内氡时空分布特征研究

为了全面分析室内氡的时空分布特征、来源和影响因素,选择了贵阳市不同地理位置的居民住宅、办公场所和公共场所,进行了为期一年的室内氡监测。贵阳市室内氡的平均浓度为(72.7±1.6)Bq/m3,低于室内空气污染国家标准,达标率98.5%。其中居民住宅、办公场所和公共场所的室内氡浓度分别为(93.46±86.93)、(74.68±40.74)、(61±26.93)Bq/m3。研究表明,室内涂料、装修程度和通风效果、小区环境等对室内氡浓度高低有显著影响,室内氡也随季节变化而发生波动。对于居民住宅和公共场所氡的室内外来源相对重要性不同。居民住宅内新楼和旧楼不同楼层室内氡的来源、影响因素和分布特征有显著差异。     

Indoor radon/thoron levels and inhalation doses to some populations in Himachal Pradesh, India

It is well established that some areas of Himachal Pradesh (H.P.) state of India situated in the environs of the Himalayan mountains are relatively rich in uranium-bearing minerals. Some earlier studies by our group have indicated high levels of radon (>200 Bq m(-3)) in the dwellings. It is in this context that an indoor radon/thoron survey has been carried out in selected villages of four districts in the state of H.P. This survey has been conducted as a part of a national, coordinated project using twin chamber dosemeter cups designed by the Environmental Assessment Division (EAD), Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India. The track-etch technique is used for calibration of plastic detector LR-115 type-II which are employed for recording alpha tracks due to radon/thoron and their daughters. Year long radon/thoron data have been collected for seasonal correlations of indoor radon/thoron in the dwellings. The indoor radon levels have been found to vary from a minimum value of 17.4 Bq m(-3) to a maximum value of 140.3 Bq m(-3). The indoor thoron levels vary from a minimum value of 5.2 Bq m(-3) to a maximum value of 131.9 Bq m(-3). The year average dose rate for the local population varies from 0.03 microSv h(-1) to 0.83 microSv h(-1). The annual exposure dose to inhabitants in all the dwellings lies below the upper limit of 10 mSv given in ICRP-65.     

南京市地铁车站氡浓度水平的初步调查

采用静电收集氡子体法对南京市地铁车站环境中氡浓度进行了调查,初步掌握了南京市地铁站重点区域的氡浓度放射性水平,按照联合国原子辐射效应科学委员会推荐的评价方法估算氡浓度对地铁内工作人员人均年有效照射剂量。对地铁站新建和扩建项目的机械通风设计,为工作人员和公众的内照射剂量水平估算等提供依据。     

A study of background radioactivity level for Canakkale, Turkey

This study assesses the level of background radiation for Canakkale province of northwestern Turkey. Radon concentrations in indoor air were determined using CR-39 nuclear track detectors and ²²²Rn activity was found to be 167 Bq m^???3 (equivalent to an annual effective dose of 4.2 mSv). Measurements of outdoor gamma radiation (of terrestrial and cosmic origin) in air were performed using plastic scintillators, and the average absorbed gamma dose rate was found to be 66.4 nGy h^???1 (corresponding to an annual effective dose of 81.4 μSv). The radionuclide activity concentrations in soil samples collected from the study area were measured through gamma-ray spectrometry, and the average activities were determined as 94.55, 110.4, and 1,273 Bq kg^???1 for the natural radionuclides ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K, respectively, and 19.39 Bq kg^???1 for the fission product ¹³⁷Cs. The natural radioactivity sources resulted in an annual effective dose of 184 μSv. The radioactivity levels of drinking water samples were measured as 0.0599 Bq l^???1 for gross-alpha activity and 0.0841 Bq l^???1 for gross-beta activity using a low-background counting technique (equivalent to an annual effective dose of 12.25 μSv). The results of this study show that the activity levels of radon in air, radionuclides in soil, and alpha activities in drinking water are higher compared to the data available for other Turkish cities and the world averages. On the other hand, the outdoor gamma dose rates in air and beta activities in drinking water are within natural limits.     

A Quantile Regression Approach to Evaluate Factors Influencing Residential Indoor Radon Concentration

Indoor radon concentrations depend on building characteristics such as building materials, ventilation and water supply. In this paper, a quantile regression approach is proposed to evaluate the effect of some buildings factors potentially influencing indoor radon concentration. Many of the considered factors, such as soil connection, age of construction and being a single family building, are found to have a statistically significant effect; however, this is far from being constant across the entire support of indoor radon concentration. A potential impact due to geological and geo-physical reasons is also found using the altitude of building locations as a surrogate variable. In addition, a clear local spatial effect is detected by a spatial autoregression approach.     

Assessing radon concentrations in areas with few measurements

The New York State Department of Health has estimated and mappedradon concentrations for every town and city in the State. Sincefor many towns there are few indoor radon measurements, the radonestimates for these towns were determined using correlations to surficial geology. A project was conducted to target towns for additional measurements that currently have few data but, based on the surficial geology of the town, are estimated to have elevated levels of indoor radon. The objective of the project wasto obtain at least 30 additional measurements for the targeted towns and to compare the measurement results with the estimates based on geology. The study completed 1606 radon measurements from 9080 detector applications mailed to home owners in 94 underserved towns spread throughout the State. Of the 1115 basement measurements, 43% exceeded 148 Bq m^-3, with a maximum of 6900 Bq m^-3. Three homes measured in one town hadradon concentrations above 2900 Bq m^-3. Of the 491 living-area measurements, 19% exceeded 148 Bq m^-3, with a maximum of 2700 Bq m^-3. About 60% and 86% of measurementresults were within one standard deviation and a factor of two,respectively, of estimated concentrations. Results indicate thatregardless of the magnitude of radon potential, the estimates arein good agreement with measured concentrations.     

Estimating the radon concentration in water and indoor air

The paper presents the results of radon concentration measurements in the vicinity of water, indoor air and in contact to building walls. The investigations were carried out using CR-39 track detectors. Samples of ground water flowing out of many springs mostly in Arabian Gulf area except one from Germany have been studied. The results are compared with international recommendations and the values are found to be lower than the recommended value. Measuring the mean indoor radon concentrations in air and in contact to building walls in the dwellings of Kuwait University Campus were found 24.2 +/- 7.7, and 462 +/- 422 Bq m(-3) respectively. These values lead to average effective dose equivalent rates of 1.3 +/- 0.4 and 23 +/- 21 mSv year(-1), respectively.     

Seasonal evaluation of bioaerosols from indoor air of residential apartments within the metropolitan area in South Korea

The aims of the present study were to determine the levels of bioaerosols including airborne culturable bacteria (total suspended bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and Gram-negative bacteria), fungi, endotoxin, and viruses (influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus types A/B, parainfluenza virus types 1/2/3, metapnemovirus, and adenovirus) and their seasonal variations in indoor air of residential apartments. Of the total suspended bacteria cultured in an indoor environment, Staphylococcus was dominant and occupied 49.0 to 61.3 % of indoor air. Among Staphylococcus, S. aureus were detected in 100 % of households' indoor air ranging from 4 to 140 CFU/m³, and 66 % of households were positive for MRSA ranging from 2 to 80 CFU/m³. Staphylococcus and S. aureus concentrations correlated with indoor temperature (adjusted β: 0.4440 and 0.403, p?<?0.0001). Among respiratory viruses, adenovirus was detected in 14 (14 %) samples and influenza A virus was detected in 3 (3 %) samples regarding the indoor air of apartments. Adenovirus concentrations were generally higher in winter (mean concentration was 2,106 copies/m³) than in spring (mean concentration was 173 copies/m³), with concentrations ranging between 12 and 560 copies/m³. Also, a strong negative correlation between adenovirus concentrations and relative humidity in indoor air was observed (r?=??0.808, p?<?0.01). Furthermore, temperature also negatively correlated with adenovirus concentrations (r?=??0.559, p?<?0.05).     

Simultaneous measurements of radon and thoron,and their progeny levels in dwellings on anticlinal structures of Assam,India

Radon and thoron, and their progeny concentrations along with equilibrium factors for gas progeny and radiological risks to the residents have been measured in dwellings of Digboi and Mashimpur areas located on anticlines during the winter season. In this present investigation, twin-cup dosemeters fitted with LR-115 (II) nuclear detectors have been employed. The present work has shown that there exist considerable house-to-house variations in values with maximum values in mud houses and minimum values in assam type (AT) houses. It has been found that mean (and geometric standard deviations (GSD)) radon concentrations are 83.8 (1.3), 113.5 (1.1) and 157.2 (1.2) Bq m^?3 in AT, reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and mud houses in Digboi area and 63.0 (1.1), 87.1 (1.4) and 182.1 (1.2) Bq m^?3 in AT, RCC and mud houses in Mashimpur area, respectively. The overall mean radon concentrations in Digboi and Mashimpur are estimated to be 114.4 (1.4) and 100.0 (1.7) Bq m^?3. The mean radon concentrations are found to be less than the lower reference level of 200 Bq m^?3 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP 2007). The thoron concentrations in Digboi area are estimated to be 31.1 (1.3), 50.8 (1.4) and 67.0 (1.6) Bq m^?3 in AT, RCC and mud houses, respectively, whereas in Mashimpur area, the thoron concentrations are estimated to be 26.4 (1.3), 44.4 (1.3) and 77.7 (1.3) Bq m^?3 in AT, RCC and mud houses, respectively. The mean annual effective doses in Digboi area are found to be 1.9 (1.3), 2.7 (1.2) and 4.1 (1.4) mSv y^?1 in AT, RCC and mud houses, respectively, while in the case of Mashimpur area, the mean annual effective doses are found to be 1.5 (1.4), 2.2 (1.2) and 4.9 (1.3) mSv y^?1 in AT, RCC and mud houses, respectively. Nevertheless, the obtained results are much lower than the upper reference level of 10 mSv (ICRP 2007).     

Radon risk assessment: The effect of voluntary sampling distributions and bias

This paper examines the problem of estimating indoor radon concentrations for radon-induced lung cancer risk assessment. Previous authors have identified various problems and possible corrections for the use of generally available radon screening measurements. Bias evident in data collected from volunteers is described; regional databases developed from voluntary data generally exhibit higher mean values than those obtained from random samples. Tools are developed to better characterize the differences in voluntary and random concentration distributions. Application is demonstrated using voluntary and random radon survey data for the state of North Dakota.     

Organophosphate and phthalate esters in indoor air: a comparison between multi-storey buildings with high and low prevalence of sick building symptoms

An extensive study has been conducted on the prevalence of organophosphorous flame retardants/plasticizers and phthalate ester plasticizers in indoor air. The targeted substances were measured in 45 multi-storey apartment buildings in Stockholm, Sweden. The apartment buildings were classified as high or low risk with regard to the reporting of sick building symptoms (SBS) within the project Healthy Sustainable Houses in Stockholm (3H). Air samples were taken from two to four apartments per building (in total 169 apartments) to facilitate comparison within and between buildings. Association with building characteristics has been examined as well as association with specific sources by combining chemical analysis and exploratory uni- and multivariate data analysis. The study contributes to the overall perspective of levels of organophosphate and phthalate ester in indoor air enabling comparison with other studies. The results indicated little or no difference in the concentrations of the target substances between the two risk classifications of the buildings. The differences between the apartments sampled within (intra) buildings were greater than the differences between (inter) buildings. The concentrations measured in air ranged up to 1200 ng m(-3) for organophosphate esters and up to 11?000 ng m(-3) for phthalate esters. Results in terms of sources were discerned e.g. PVC flooring is a major source of benzylbutyl phthalate in indoor air.     

Assessment of environmental radioactivity for Batman, Turkey

The province of Batman, located in southern Anatolia, has a population of approximately 500,000. To our knowledge, there exists no information regarding the environmental radioactivity in this province. Therefore, gamma activity measurements in soil, building materials and water samples and an indoor radon survey have been carried out in the Batman province. The mean activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides (²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K) and a fission product (¹³⁷Cs) were 35 ± 8, 25 ± 10, 274 ± 167 and 12 ± 7 Bq kg^???1, respectively, in the soil samples. The concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in the selected building materials ranged from 18 to 48 Bq kg^???1, 8 to 49 Bq kg^???1 and 68 to 477 Bq kg^???1, respectively. All the calculated radium equivalent (Ra_eq) activity values of the building material samples are lower than the limit of 370 Bq kg^???1, equivalent to a γ-dose of 1.5 mSv year^???1. The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in tap waters collected from the study area were determined with mean specific activity concentrations of 42 ± 15, 35 ± 9 and 524 ± 190 mBq L^???1, respectively. Indoor radon measurements were made at 95 dwellings in Batman using a CR-39 detector. The radon concentration levels were found to vary from 23 to 145 Bq m^???3. The arithmetic mean of the measured radon concentration levels was found to be 84 Bq m^???3 with a standard deviation value of 23 Bq m^???3. The measurement results obtained in this study did not significantly differ from those taken in other parts of the country. The data generated in this study can be used to determine whether the Batman province is in a normal or high background radiation area and provides a valuable database for future estimations of the impact of radioactive pollution.     

Periodicities of the radon level in Butte,Montana

Hourly measurements of radon level at four houses in Butte, Montana were analyzed. Previous studies suggestes that there are diurnal cycles, spectral analysis confirms this assertion. Moreover, there are also long term trends and weekly cycles at certain locations. The periodical cycles highly suggest that indoor radon level can be dependent on the ventilation condition of the house and the activities of the residents.The relationship of indoor and outdoor radon level was investigated by cross-spectral analysis. In view of the possible different patterns caused by different seasons, data from the winter and summer are analyzed separately. The results shows that winter and summer data do display different patterns.     

Outdoor 220Rn, 222Rn and terrestrial gamma radiation levels: investigation study in the thorium rich Fen Complex, Norway

The present study was done in the Fen Complex, a Norwegian area rich in naturally occurring radionuclides, especially in thorium ((232)Th). Measurement of radioactivity levels was conducted at the decommissioned iron (Fe) and niobium (Nb) mining sites (TENORM) as well as at the undisturbed wooded sites (NORM), all open for free public access. The soil activity concentrations of (232)Th (3280-8395 Bq kg(-1)) were significantly higher than the world and the Norwegian average values and exceeded the Norwegian screening level (1000 Bq kg(-1)) for radioactive waste, while radium ((226)Ra) was present at slightly elevated levels (89-171 Bq kg(-1)). Terrestrial gamma dose rates were also elevated, ranging 2.6-4.4 μGy h(-1). Based on long-term surveys, the air concentrations of thoron ((220)Rn) and radon ((222)Rn) reached 1786 and 82 Bq m(-3), respectively. Seasonal variation in the outdoor gamma dose rates and Rn concentrations was confirmed. Correlation analyses showed a linear relationship between air radiation levels and the abundance of (232)Th in soil. The annual outdoor effective radiation doses for humans (occupancy 5 h day(-1)) were estimated to be in the range of 3.0-7.7 mSv, comparable or higher than the total average (summarized indoor and outdoor) exposure dose for the Norwegian population (2.9 mSv year(-1)). On the basis of all obtained results, this Norwegian area should be considered as enhanced natural radiation area (ENRA).     

室内空气污染调查

为了解室内空气污染状况,广州市环境监测中心站对刚装修不久的10套私人居室和5家单位办公室的室内空气进行了监测。结果表明,甲醛、苯、NH3、NOx浓度超标,最高超标倍数分别为：甲醛22.0倍,苯3.01倍,NH3 2.58倍,NOx0.30倍。指出,这些污染物主要来源于装修材料和建筑材料,会对人体健康造成危害。提出,为防止室内空气污染,应从源头抓起,装修时尽量选用低毒或无毒的材料,装修后的居室或办公室要保持通风,以降低室内污染物浓度,进驻前请有关权威部门进行监测评估。另外可在室内摆放绿色植物,以吸附一些有毒化合物。     

PM1 and PM2.5 ionic composition and VOCs measurements in two typical apartments in Athens, Greece: investigation of smoking contribution to indoor air concentrations

During the last decades, the air quality of the city of Athens has been quite aggravated. Scientific interest has been focused on health effects caused by both outdoor and indoor air pollution. The purpose of this study was the presentation of results from air quality measurements in two similar typical Athenian apartments in the same suburban area. In addition, smoking contribution is investigated, as it is the main factor which differentiates the two apartments. The results showed that it is the outdoor environment that mainly contributes to the air quality of the non-smokers’ house. In the second apartment, PM_2.5, PM₁, and benzene concentrations were found significantly higher due to smoking activity. In contrast, no clear difference in particulate matter ionic composition between the two areas was observed, although in the smoker’s house, ion concentrations were found elevated. This observation amplifies the assumption that in the smoker’s apartment, significant outdoor sources’ contribution cannot be excluded.     

Assessment of the radiological impacts of utilizing coal combustion fly ash as main constituent in the production of cement

The purpose of this study is to assess potential radiological impacts of utilizing pulverized fly ash (PFA) as a constituent in ordinary Portland cement. For this purpose, the activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K in samples of PFA and Portland cement containing 15%, 20%, and 25% by mass PFA were measured using gamma-ray spectrometry with HPGe detector. The mean activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K were found as 366.6, 113.7, and 460.2 Bq kg^???1, 94.2, 25.9, and 215.3 Bq kg^???1, 113.7, 34.3, and 238.3 Bq kg^???1, and 124.2, 41.8, and 279.3 Bq kg^???1 for the examined samples of PFA, Portland cement with 15%, 20%, and 25% by mass PFA, respectively. Radiological parameters such as radium equivalent activity, external exposure index (activity concentration index), internal dose index (alpha index), indoor absorbed gamma dose rate, and the corresponding the annually effective dose were assessed for Portland cement samples containing three percentages (15%, 20%, and 25%) by mass PFA. The results of assessment show that all Portland cement samples are within the safe limits recommended for building materials for dwellings.     

Organic Liquids Storage Tanks Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCS) Emissions Dispersion and Risk Assessment in Developing Countries: The Case of Dar-Es-Salaam City, Tanzania

The emission estimation of nine volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from eight organic liquids storage tanks companies in Dar-es-Salaam City Tanzania has been done by using US EPA standard regulatory storage tanks emission model (TANKS 4.9b). Total VOCs atmospheric emission has been established to be 853.20 metric tones/yr. It has been established further that petrol storage tanks contribute about 87% of total VOCs emitted, while tanks for other refined products and crude oil were emitting 10% and 3% of VOCs respectively. Of the eight sources (companies), the highest emission value from a single source was 233,222.94 kg/yr and the lowest single source emission value was 6881.87 kg/yr. The total VOCs emissions estimated for each of the eight sources were found to be higher than the standard level of 40,000 kg/yr per source for minor source according to US EPA except for two sources, which were emitting VOCs below the standard level. The annual emissions per single source for each of the VOCs were found to be below the US EPA emissions standard which is 2,000~kg/yr in all companies except the emission of hexane from company F1 which was slightly higher than the standard. The type of tanks used seems to significantly influence the emission rate. Vertical fixed roof tanks (VFRT) emit a lot more than externally floating roof tanks (EFRT) and internally floating roof tanks (IFRT). The use of IFRT and EFRT should be encouraged especially for storage of petrol which had highest atmospheric emission contribution. Model predicted atmospheric emissions are less than annual losses measured by companies in all the eight sources. It is possible that there are other routes for losses beside atmospheric emissions. It is therefore important that waste reduction efforts in these companies are directed not only to reducing atmospheric emissions, but also prevention of the spillage and leakage of stored liquid and curbing of the frequently reported illegal siphoning of stored products. Emission rates for benzene, toluene, and xylene were used as input to CALPUFF air dispersion model for the calculation of spatial downwind concentrations from area sources. By using global positioning system (GPS) and geographical information system (GIS) the spatial benzene concentration contributed by organic liquid storage tanks has been mapped for Dar-es-Salaam City. Highest concentrations for all the three toxic pollutants were observed at Kigamboni area, possibly because the area is located at the wind prevailing direction from the locations of the storage tanks. The model predicted concentrations downwind from the sources were below tolerable concentrations by WHO and US-OSHA. The highest 24 hrs averaging time benzene concentration was used for risk assessment in order to determine maximum carcinogenic risk amongst the population exposed at downwind. Established risk for adult and children at 2.9×10^-3 and 1.9×10^-3 respectively, are higher than the acceptable US-EPA risk of 1×10^-6. It is very likely that the actual VOCs concentrations in some urban areas in Tanzania including Dar-es-Salaam City are much higher than the levels reported in this study when other sources such as petrol stations and motor vehicles on the roads are considered. Tanzania Government therefore need to put in place: an air quality policy and legislation, establish air quality guidelines and acquire facilities which will enable the implementation of air quality monitoring and management programmes.