title: High natural radiation exposure in radon spa areas: a detailed field investigation in Niska Banja (Balkan region).
abstract: The measurement campaigns have been done in the rural community of Niska Banja, a spa town located in southern Serbia, to evaluate population exposure to natural radioactivity. After a screening survey in 200 houses, annual radon and thoron concentrations were measured in 34 houses, and in 2004 a detailed investigation was carried out at six houses with elevated indoor radon concentrations. The paper presents the results of these detailed measurements. The complementary techniques were applied to determine radon and thoron concentrations in indoor air, in soil gas, radon exhalation from soil, soil permeability, and indoor and outdoor gamma doses. Soil and water samples were collected and analysed in the laboratory. Indoor radon and thoron concentrations were found to be more than 1kBqm(-3) and 200Bqm(-3), respectively. Extremely high concentrations of soil-gas radon (>2000kBqm(-3)) and radon exhalation rates (1.5mBqm(-2)s(-1)) were observed. These results will be utilised to set up the methodology for a more systematic investigation.
authors.affiliation: Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Beograd, Serbia and Montenegro.
authors.forename: Z S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Zunić
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kobal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vaupotic
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kozak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mazur
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Birovljev
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janik
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Celiković
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ujić
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demajo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krstić
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jakupi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quarto
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bochicchio
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D003625:Data Collection; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D015022:Yugoslavia
chemical_list: D011848:Radioactive Pollutants; D011886:Radon