title: Preliminary integrated indoor radon measurements in Transylvania (Romania).
abstract: Measurements of indoor radon concentrations were performed in 406 residential houses in five counties (Cluj, Bihor, Alba, Bistrita, and Sibiu) using Makrofol and CR-39 alpha-track detectors. From our measurements, an average indoor radon concentration of 82.5 Bq m(-3) for the Transylvanian population was calculated, i.e. an annual effective dose of 2.4 mSv for the whole body. The calculated dose is 62% higher than that previously reported but yet below the recommended action level of ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection). A log-normal distribution of the radon concentration was obtained for the studied counties, excluding some higher values from the Stei region--a radon-prone area in Transylvania. For the Stei region, the data show a dual log-normal distribution of the radon concentration with the second maximum being related to the houses built using uranium waste as a construction material. Assuming a cancer risk coefficient of 10(-4)/100 Bq m(-3) year(-1), one can estimate that about 600 lung cancer per year, for about 7,000,000 inhabitants of the Transylvania region, are due to radon inhalation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environmental Science, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. cosmac@enviro.ubbcluj.ro
authors.forename: Constantin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cosma
authors.forename: Kinga
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szacsvai
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dinu
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ciorba
authors.forename: Tiberius
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dicu
authors.forename: Liviu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Suciu
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D011886:Radon