title: Outdoor (222)Rn-concentrations in Germany - part 1 - natural background.
abstract: To determine the natural radiation exposure due to outdoor radon ((222)Rn) and its short-lived decay products in Germany, the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) conducted a measuring programme over three years. The annual mean radon concentration at 1.5 m above ground level was measured with solid-state track etch detectors at 173 measuring points in an even grid with a grid length of approx. 50 km. Furthermore, annual mean values of the equilibrium-equivalent radon concentration (EEC) and the equilibrium factor were estimated on the basis of the activity concentrations of (214)Pb and (214)Bi measured at 27 stations of the German Meteorological Service (DWD). Our study yielded a spatial mean outdoor radon concentration for Germany of 9 ± 1 Bq m(-3) (median: 8 (-0.5/+1.0) Bq m(-3)), with regional means varying from 4.5 Bq m(-3) in Hamburg to 14 Bq m(-3) in Bavaria. The determined EEC are in a range from 1.4 to 11 Bq m(-3).
authors: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, 38226 Salzgitter, Germany. Electronic address: mkuemmel@bfs.de.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kümmel
authors: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, 38226 Salzgitter, Germany.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Dushe
authors: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, 38226 Salzgitter, Germany.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Müller
authors: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, 38226 Salzgitter, Germany.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Gehrcke
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D001417:Background Radiation; D002138:Calibration; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004867:Equipment Design; D005843:Geography; D005858:Germany; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D017687:Radon Daughters / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D017687:Radon Daughters; D011886:Radon
keywords: (222)Rn; EEC; Germany; Natural background; Outdoor; Radon