Substantiation of methodical approaches to the control of indoor radon concentration in existing public buildings with non-round-the-clock stay of people

According to the analysis of requests for methodological assistance to the Saint-Petersburg Research In ­stitute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P. V. Ramzaev, measurements of radon concentration (or radon EEC) in existing operated public buildings (primarily children institutions) in the framework of surveillance actions in the regions of the Russian Federation, as a rule, are taken according to Guidelines MU 2.6.1.2838-11, intended for radiation control of public buildings only when they are put into operation after construction, major repairs or reconstruction, due to the absence of special guidelines. Compliance with the requirements of paragraph 6.5 of MU 2.6.1.2838-11 means that the building and premises are in a state that is not equal to their normal operation mode. Registration of high values of indoor radon concentration in this case leads to management decisions, including administrative suspension o f activities for up to ninety days, i.e. the closure of individual premises or even the entire building of a children institution. The consequences of making such decisions may include an increase in social tension in society and provoking radiophobia among the population. The paper presents specific recommendations for the radon survey for existing operated public buildings with non-round-the-clock stay of people, which are based on the results of the analysis of the experience of practical application of various methods of measuring indoor radon concentrations in such buildings in order to assess average radon concentration during working hours in the normal operation mode. The proposed approach can be further used as the basis for developing special guidelines for radiation control of existing operated public buildings with non-round-the-clock stay of people. 

1. Kiselev S. M., Zhukovsky M. V., Stamat I. P., Yarmoshenko I. V. Radon: From fundamental research to regulatory practice. Moscow: Russian State Research Center - Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of Federal Medical - Biological Agency; 2016. 432 p. (In Russian)

2. Kormanovskaya T. A., Istorik O. A., Romanovich I. K., Eremina L. A., Koroleva N. A., Balabina T. A., et al. Radon surveys in the buildings of children institutions. Radiatsionnaya Gygiena = Radiation Hygiene. 2021;14(2): 6-20. DOI: 10.21514/1998-426X-2021-14-2-6-20. (In Russian)

3. Balakhonova A. S. Rhenium mineralization in dictyonema shales of the Baltic basin (Leningrad region). PhD thesis. St. Petersburg; 2014. 125 p. (In Russian)

4. Mikhaylov V. A., Vyalov V. I., Mironov Yu. B., Iskyul G. S., Lodygin A. N. New data on uranium-bearing shale dictyonema at Baltic Sea (Kaybolovo-Gostilitsy area, Leningrad region). Razvedka i okhrana nedr = Prospect and protection of mineral resources. 2015;10: 56-60. (In Russian)

5. Vyalov V. I., Bogomolov A. H., Mihailov V. A., Semenov E. V. Uranium of dictyonema shale of Kajbolovo-Gostilitsky area of Baltic basin (Leningrad region). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seriya 4: Geologiya = Moscow University Geology Bulletin. 2017;4: 25-30. (In Russian)

6. Efremova U. S. Influence of radioactive properties of dictyonema shales on the environment of the territory of the Baltic klint (Leningrad region). Problemy ekologicheskogo monitoringa i modelirovaniya ekosistem = Ecological monitoring and ecosystem modelling. 2018;29(3): 39-52. DOI: 10.21513/0207-2564-2018-3-39-52. (In Russian)

7. Kononenko D. V. Analysis of distributions of indoor radon concentrations in the regions of the Russian Federation. Radiatsionnaya Gygiena = Radiation Hygiene. 2019; 12(1): 85-103. DOI: 10.21514/1998-426X-2019-12-1-85-103. (In Russian)