USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications
Residential radon exposure and seasonal variation in the countryside of southeastern Brazil
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2020
ISSN
01676369
Abstract
Poorly ventilated environments such as residences can accumulate radon gas to levels that are harmful to humans and thus produce a public health risk. To assess the risk from natural radiation due to indoor radon exposure, 222Rn measurements, using an alpha RAD7 detector, were conducted in Timóteo, Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil. Indoor radon concentrations, along with meteorological parameters, were measured every 2 h during both wet and dry seasons in 2017 and 2018. The mean concentration of indoor radon varied between 18.0 and 412.8 Bq m−3, which corresponded to an effective annual dose of 1.2 and 7.6 mSv y−1. Average radon concentrations were significantly higher during the winter dry season, and there was a strong positive correlation with humidity in both wet and dry season. Furthermore, concentrations showed an inverse correlation with atmospheric pressure, wind speed, air temperature, and solar radiation. The radon levels are generally above the limits recommended by international standards, meaning that mitigation measures are needed to improve air quality to reduce human exposure and risk. Finally, through the statistical analysis, it was possible to determine the differences and similarities between the sampling points concerning the geology of the place and the geographical location.
Language
en-US
Recommended Citation
e Silva, Camila Rodrigues; Smoak, Joseph M.; and da Silva-Filho, Emmanoel Vieira, "Residential radon exposure and seasonal variation in the countryside of southeastern Brazil" (2020). USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications. 4172.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/fac_publications/4172
