title: Mapping the geogenic radon potential: methodology and spatial analysis for central Hungary.
abstract: A detailed geogenic radon potential (GRP) mapping based on field soil gas radon and soil gas permeability measurements was carried out in this study. A conventional continuous variable approach was used in this study for GRP determination and to test its applicability to the selected area of Hungary. Spatial pattern of soil gas radon concentration, soil permeability and GRP and the relationship between geological formations and these parameters were studied by performing detailed spatial analysis. Exploratory data analysis revealed that higher soil gas radon activity concentration and GRP characterizes the mountains and hills than the plains. The highest values were found in the proluvial-deluvial sediments, rock debris on the downhill slopes eroded from hills. Among the Quaternary sediments, which characterize the study area, the fluvial sediment has the highest values, which are also located in the hilly areas. The lowest values were found in the plain areas covered by drift sand, fluvioeolic sand, fluvial sand and loess. As a conclusion, radon is related to the sediment cycle in the study area. A geogenic radon risk map was created, which assists human health risk assessment and risk reduction since it indicates the potential of the source of indoor radon. The map shows that low and medium geogenic radon potential characterizes the study area in central Hungary. High risk occurs only locally. The results reveal that Quaternary sediments are inhomogeneous from a radon point of view, fluvial sediment has medium GRP, whereas the other rock formations such as drift sand, fluioeolic sand, fluvial sand and loess, found in the study area, have low GRP.
authors.affiliation: Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Department of Petrology and Geochemistry, Eötvös University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: sz_k_zs@yahoo.de.
authors.forename: Katalin Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: KZ
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.affiliation: Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budaörsi út 45, 1112 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: gyozojordan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gyozo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Department of Atomic Physics, Eötvös University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: akos@ludens.elte.hu.
authors.forename: Ákos
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Horváth
authors.affiliation: Lithosphere Fluid Research Laboratory, Department of Petrology and Geochemistry, Eötvös University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: cszabo@elte.hu.
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Szabó
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D006814:Hungary; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D062206:Spatial Analysis
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon
keywords: Hungarian geogenic radon potential; Soil gas permeability; Soil gas radon; Spatial modeling