UNCERTAINTY OF THE RESULTS OF THE RADON CONTROL IN HOUSINGS. PART 2. EXPERIMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE TEMPORAL VARIATIONS OF RADON

The first part of the paper was devoted to a detailed investigation of the problems of radon control in buildings as well as to the description of the accurate principle of radon control on housings, which is based on the new parameter – temporal variation coefficient K_V(t). This coefficient equalizes the main component of the uncertainty of the average annual level of radon depending on the protocol and duration of measurements. Additionally, a novel algorithm for the estimation of K_V(t) is proposed, developed on the base of the results of continuous annual radon monitoring in representative experimental housings. This part of the paper is focused on the results of the annual continuous monitoring of volume activities of radon and its daughter products in ten experimental housings in 2006–2013. These housings were located in seven buildings mainly in the Moscow region. All the experimental buildings have the detailed description. The use of original algorithm of the processing of the results of annual monitoring allowed estimating particular and table values of K_V(t) co-efficient, depending on the protocol and duration of the measurements. The values of the coefficient are lower up to a factor of two if the temperature is considered. However, the possibility of such consideration is significantly limited by the number of factors. Additionally, an importance of considering a geological factor is discussed. Evaluation of the representativeness of the data obtained and the method for verification and elaboration of the table values of K_V(t) are provided as well. Based on the results obtained, there is a possibility for the development of the approaches in the field of sanitary-epidemiologic surveillance in the field of practical realization of the strategy of mass radon control and effective identification of buildings with increased radon levels.

Radon, volume activity, equivalent activity, temporal variation coefficient, corrective coefficient, uncertainty, experimental housing, monitoring

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