title: Radon concentration in hospital buildings erected during the last 40 years in Białystok, Poland.
abstract: The aim of the study was to compare radon concentrations in neighbouring hospital buildings which were constructed in different years during the period 1963-2000 and are located in areas with similar radon potential. The value of arithmetic mean (AM) radon concentration in soil gas amounted to 14,464 Bq m(-3). In a hospital built 40 years ago, the AM radon concentration in the cellar was 38.4+/-36.7 Bq m(-3) and on higher levels it was 17.1+/-10.3 Bq m(-3). In a hospital built 16 years ago, these values equaled 45.5+/-47.2 Bq m(-3) and 20.4+/-12.5 Bq m(-3), respectively. In the newest hospital, built three years ago, radon concentration (AM) in a cellar was 32.3+/-27.4 Bq m(-3) and the respective value on higher levels amounted to 20.4+/-12.6 Bq m(-3). When comparing radon concentrations in the cellars, no statistically significant differences were found. Similarly, no statistically significant differences were observed between radon concentrations measured on higher levels in investigated hospital buildings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Medical University of Bial?ystok, Mickiewicza 2A st., PL 15-089 Białystok, Poland. mnich@amb.edu.pl
authors.forename: Zenon
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mnich
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karpińska
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kapała
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kozak
authors.forename: Jadwiga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mazur
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Birula
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Antonowicz
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D006749:Hospital Design and Construction / Q000639:trends*; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011044:Poland; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon