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General model for estimation of indoor radon concentration dynamics

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Abstract

A known relationship exists between high radon concentrations and lung cancer, and therefore, the indoor radon quantification is important, and it is beneficial to have a model to estimate indoor concentration. The work is focused on the development of an INDORAD (INDOor RAdon Dynamic) model for estimation of indoor radon dynamics, with time-dependent meteorological parameters and adjustable soil and building properties being considered. This model is based on a systemic approach, where the flows of material between compartments are considered, without a spatial resolution. This approach allowed to simplify the mathematical processing and enabled to consider together all known sources of indoor radon. The developed model was put in use in a laboratory building where soil constitutes major source of radon. The results (radon concentrations) from the model were compared to an existing data set from Saelices el Chico in a soil with high concentration of 226Ra. The outcome of the validation implies that INDORAD could predict radon concentrations satisfactorily. Suggestions for future updates of the model to improve indoor radon estimations are provided.

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Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This research was supported by the CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas), Environmental Department, Unit of Radiation Protection for the Public and the Environment

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment Unit, CIEMAT, Av. Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Alla Dvorzhak, Juan Carlos Mora & Almudena Real

  2. Radon Group, University of Cantabria, C/Cardenal Herrera Oria s/n, 39011, Santander, Spain

    Carlos Sainz & Ismael Fuente

Authors
  1. Alla Dvorzhak
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  2. Juan Carlos Mora
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  3. Almudena Real
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  4. Carlos Sainz
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  5. Ismael Fuente
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Contributions

Alla Dvorzhak: conceptualization, methodology, software, writing original draft preparation, visualization, and results analysis. Juan Carlos Mora: conceptualization, methodology, writing—reviewing and editing, and results analysis. Almudena Real: supervision, conceptualization, methodology, and writing—reviewing and editing. Carlos Sainz: data measurements, data curation, and results analysis. Ismael Fuente: data measurements, data curation, and results analysis.

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Correspondence to Alla Dvorzhak.

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Dvorzhak, A., Mora, J.C., Real, A. et al. General model for estimation of indoor radon concentration dynamics. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 54085–54095 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14422-3

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