Radon and NORM: Impact on Air Quality

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 May 2023) | Viewed by 8820

Special Issue Editors

INAIL-National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work, 00078 Rome, Italy
Interests: radon; radon remediation; radon exhalation rate; NORM; building materials
National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Laboratory of Observations and Measurements for the Climate and the Environment, 90100 Palermo, Italy
Interests: indoor radon mapping; geogenic radon
Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences, University of Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Interests: radon measurement; metrology; radon exhalation rate

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an update on recent advances relevant to radiation risk management cycle for radon and NORM exposure situations that take into account EU Basic Safety Standards Directive 2013/59/EURATOM (EU-BSS).

It is well known that radon is one of the most important causes of lung cancer after smoking: the risk connected to radon exposure has become particularly important indoors considering the increase in radon concentration. This aspect has become more important in recent years principally due to two main factors: the energy efficiency of buildings from the green economy perspective and the increasing time that people have spent at home due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the need to develop the Radon Action Plan, requested by the EU-BSS, has triggered several activities, mainly in Europe.

On the other hand, the EU-BSS introduced, using the same approach of the ICRP 103, many novelties in the management of NORM residues. Regarding our concerns, NORM residues should be considered as indoor air pollutants when they are added to building materials, serving as source of gamma radiation and radon.

Moreover, it could be interesting, for the scope of the Special Issue, to explore also other scenarios in which NORMs are involved such as, for example, NORM-contaminated sites and landfill sites containing NORMs.

In consideration of the above, this Atmosphere Special Issue will focus on two distinct topics: indoor radon and the impact of NORM residues on the atmosphere.

Dr. Federica Leonardi
Dr. Giorgia Cinelli
Dr. Daniel Rabago
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • radon measurements
  • radon mitigation
  • radon exhalation from soil and building materials
  • NORM in industries
  • NORM residues
  • NORM residues in building materials

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1667 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Natural Radioactivity and Radon Exhalation in Peruvian Gold Mine Tailings to Produce a Geopolymer Cement
by Rafael Liza, Patrizia Pereyra, Jose Rau, Maribel Guzman, Laszlo Sajo-Bohus and Daniel Palacios
Atmosphere 2023, 14(3), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14030588 - 19 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2500
Abstract
Mining generates significant amounts of waste that can represent a source of contamination for areas close to the extraction area, generating a negative impact both on the environment and the health of people. This study aims to evaluate the radiological risk derived from [...] Read more.
Mining generates significant amounts of waste that can represent a source of contamination for areas close to the extraction area, generating a negative impact both on the environment and the health of people. This study aims to evaluate the radiological risk derived from exposure to natural radionuclides contained in tailings from Peruvian gold mines and to establish whether the tailings can be used as raw materials in building materials. The mine tailings come from a mining project in the northern highlands of Peru. Radon exhalation was measured using Rad7 in a closed chamber and activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K radioisotopes by gamma spectrometry using NaI 3” × 3” detector. Maximum activity concentrations measured for 226Ra and 232Th were 15.38 Bq kg−1 and 11.9 Bq kg−1, respectively; meanwhile, activity concentration for 40K ranged from 182.7 Bq kg−1 to 770.8 Bq kg−1. All activity concentrations were below the worldwide average except for 40K. The radon exhalation rate varied from 2.8 to 7.2 mBq kg−1 h−1. The gamma index (Iγ), and radiological parameters, including the Radium equivalent activity (Raeq), and the external hazard index (Hex), being below the recommended levels by UNSCEAR, ensure the safe use of these mines tailing to produce a geopolymer cement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radon and NORM: Impact on Air Quality)
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11 pages, 1757 KiB  
Article
Testing the Properties of Radon Barrier Materials and Home Ventilation to Mitigate Indoor Radon
by Manuela Portaro, Paola Tuccimei, Gianfranco Galli, Michele Soligo, Cristina Longoni and Dino Vasquez
Atmosphere 2023, 14(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14010015 - 22 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1490
Abstract
Indoor radon is the second cause of lung cancer. Mitigation strategies are based on (i) building protection with radon barrier materials, (ii) increasing home ventilation or (iii) room pressurization. A scale model room created with a porous ignimbrite rich in radon precursors was [...] Read more.
Indoor radon is the second cause of lung cancer. Mitigation strategies are based on (i) building protection with radon barrier materials, (ii) increasing home ventilation or (iii) room pressurization. A scale model room created with a porous ignimbrite rich in radon precursors was used as an analogue to test the indoor radon reduction ability of various radon barrier materials in a real room. The properties of these materials were tested with and without room pressurization by introducing outdoor air at different flow rates. The best materials reduced indoor radon up to 80% and, when the highest pressurization was applied, to 93%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radon and NORM: Impact on Air Quality)
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18 pages, 7877 KiB  
Article
Radon Transport, Accumulation Patterns, and Mitigation Techniques Applied to Closed Spaces
by Isabel Sicilia, Sofía Aparicio, Margarita González, José Javier Anaya and Borja Frutos
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1692; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101692 - 16 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1501
Abstract
In this study, different techniques for the mitigation of radon gas in indoor spaces were investigated. For this purpose, two different scenarios of a public building were analyzed: two symmetrical facility galleries and a reverberation chamber. Although most workplaces in this building have [...] Read more.
In this study, different techniques for the mitigation of radon gas in indoor spaces were investigated. For this purpose, two different scenarios of a public building were analyzed: two symmetrical facility galleries and a reverberation chamber. Although most workplaces in this building have low radon levels, the complex structure houses spaces have very high radon concentrations. The study also included the surrounding areas of these spaces. The radon concentration and differential pressures were measured, and different mitigation techniques were applied: sealing, balanced ventilation, pressurization with the introduction of fresh air, and depressurization over each space. The pressurization solution was proven to be the most effective way to reduce radon concentration in both scenarios. The introduction of fresh air diluted the radon concentration, and the slight increase in the pressure reduced the entry of gas by the advection mechanism. On the other hand, the depressurization technique was the least effective mitigation technique, as it generated a negative pressure gradient that facilitated a higher radon flux from the source. Therefore, before applying any mitigation technique, it is necessary not only to study the space to be remediated but also the possible impact on neighboring spaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radon and NORM: Impact on Air Quality)
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Review

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40 pages, 4139 KiB  
Review
Overview of Radon Flux Characteristics, Measurements, Models and Its Potential Use for the Estimation of Radon Priority Areas
by Igor Čeliković, Gordana Pantelić, Ivana Vukanac, Jelena Krneta Nikolić, Miloš Živanović, Giorgia Cinelli, Valeria Gruber, Sebastian Baumann, Giancarlo Ciotoli, Luis Santiago Quindos Poncela and Daniel Rábago
Atmosphere 2022, 13(12), 2005; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13122005 - 29 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2223
Abstract
Radon flux measurements provide information about how much radon rises from the ground toward the atmosphere, thus, they could serve as good predictors of indoor radon concentrations. Although there are many different mapping methods with many different input data, radon flux data are [...] Read more.
Radon flux measurements provide information about how much radon rises from the ground toward the atmosphere, thus, they could serve as good predictors of indoor radon concentrations. Although there are many different mapping methods with many different input data, radon flux data are generally missing and are not included for the delineation of radon priority areas (RPA). The aim of this literature review is to investigate to what extent radon flux was used, or could be used, for the delineation of RPAs. Numerous factors influencing radon flux were identified, but quantifying their contribution to radon flux measurement still remains a challenge. Different methods and measuring devices were used for the determination of radon flux, thus it is necessary to identify possible inconsistencies in order to harmonise different radon flux measurements. Due to the complexity of radon flux measurements, only two countries were identified to have performed national surveys on outdoor radon, which were of much smaller scale compared to those on indoor radon. A positive correlation between radon flux and radon quantities, such as radon in soil gas and indoor radon, indicates that radon flux could be used as an input parameter for the estimation of RPA. By reviewing radon flux models, it was concluded that up-to-date modelled radon flux maps have reached excellent spatial resolution and will be further improved, hence, they could serve as an input for the estimation and delineation of RPA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radon and NORM: Impact on Air Quality)
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