RADON in a high karst area of Montenegro – A case study

IF 1.6 3区工程技术 Q3 CHEMISTRY, INORGANIC & NUCLEAR

Applied Radiation and Isotopes Pub Date : 2025-01-09 DOI:10.1016/j.apradiso.2025.111669

P. Vukotić , V. Radolić , R. Svrkota , D. Stanić , T. Anđelić , R. Mrdak , B. Fuštić , M. Benšić

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The national radon surveys in Montenegro revealed that the highest annual average radon concentrations (C_Rn,ind) in ground floors of dwellings and schools were found in a rural region characterized as a typical high-karst area. In this region, spanning approximately 800 km², C_Rn,ind values in 9 houses and 16 schools ranged from 219 to 2494 Bq/m³, with AM = 977 Bq/m³. To investigate the causes of these elevated indoor radon concentrations, the following parameters were measured near the 25 surveyed buildings: soil humidity, electrical conductivity, pH, activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁸U, ²³⁵U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K, radon concentration in soil gas (c), soil permeability for radon gas (k), and gamma dose rate in the air. The geogenic radon potential (GRP) of the location was calculated based on the measured values of c and k. As anticipated, the soil permeability in this karstic region was notably high, 1.53·10⁻¹¹ m² on average, resulting in elevated GRPs and radon indexes (RI). Therefore, 9 investigated locations were classified as having an Extremely High RI, and the other 9 as having Very High RI.

Building characteristics, such as filling, wall material, floor slab quality (FSQ), window frames, and construction period, were also assessed.

A multivariate regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between C_Rn,ind and independent variables of geogenic origin, as well as those related to building construction. The optimal linear regression model, with predictor variables FSQ, c, k, GRP and ²³⁸U, can explain 29.1% of the variance of indoor radon concentrations.

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黑山高喀斯特地区的氡-一个案例研究。

黑山的全国氡调查显示，住宅和学校底层的年平均氡浓度（CRn,ind）最高的是一个农村地区，其特征是典型的高喀斯特地区。在这个面积约800平方公里的区域，9栋住宅和16所学校的CRn和ind值在219至2494 Bq/m3之间，AM = 977 Bq/m3。为了研究室内氡浓度升高的原因，在25座被调查建筑物附近测量了以下参数：土壤湿度、电导率、pH值、226Ra、238U、235U、232Th和40K的活性浓度、土壤气体中的氡浓度(c)、氡气的土壤渗透性(k)和空气中的伽马剂量率。根据实测的c和k值计算了该地区的地质氡势（GRP）。正如预期的那样，该岩溶区土壤渗透性非常高，平均为1.53·10-11 m2，导致GRP和氡指数（RI）升高。因此，9个调查地点被归类为具有极高的RI，另外9个被归类为具有极高的RI。建筑特征，如填充物、墙体材料、楼板质量（FSQ）、窗框和施工周期也进行了评估。通过多元回归分析，评价了CRn、ind与地质成因自变量以及建筑施工相关自变量之间的关系。最优线性回归模型的预测变量为FSQ、c、k、GRP和238U，可解释29.1%的室内氡浓度方差。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Applied Radiation and Isotopes 工程技术-核科学技术

CiteScore

3.00

自引率

12.50%

发文量

406

审稿时长

13.5 months

期刊介绍： Applied Radiation and Isotopes provides a high quality medium for the publication of substantial, original and scientific and technological papers on the development and peaceful application of nuclear, radiation and radionuclide techniques in chemistry, physics, biochemistry, biology, medicine, security, engineering and in the earth, planetary and environmental sciences, all including dosimetry. Nuclear techniques are defined in the broadest sense and both experimental and theoretical papers are welcome. They include the development and use of α- and β-particles, X-rays and γ-rays, neutrons and other nuclear particles and radiations from all sources, including radionuclides, synchrotron sources, cyclotrons and reactors and from the natural environment. The journal aims to publish papers with significance to an international audience, containing substantial novelty and scientific impact. The Editors reserve the rights to reject, with or without external review, papers that do not meet these criteria. Papers dealing with radiation processing, i.e., where radiation is used to bring about a biological, chemical or physical change in a material, should be directed to our sister journal Radiation Physics and Chemistry.