Indoor Radon Concentration and Risk Assessment in 27 Districts of a Public Healthcare Company in Naples, South Italy
Radon is a major source of ionizing radiation exposure for the general population. It is known that exposure to radon is a risk factor for the onset of lung cancer. In this study, the results of a radon survey conducted in all districts of a Public Healthcare in Italy, are reported. Measurements of...
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/3/178 |
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| author | Filomena Loffredo Federica Savino Roberto Amato Alfredo Irollo Francesco Gargiulo Giuseppe Sabatino Marcello Serra Maria Quarto |
| author_facet | Filomena Loffredo Federica Savino Roberto Amato Alfredo Irollo Francesco Gargiulo Giuseppe Sabatino Marcello Serra Maria Quarto |
| author_sort | Filomena Loffredo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Radon is a major source of ionizing radiation exposure for the general population. It is known that exposure to radon is a risk factor for the onset of lung cancer. In this study, the results of a radon survey conducted in all districts of a Public Healthcare in Italy, are reported. Measurements of indoor radon were performed using nuclear track detectors, CR-39. The entire survey was conducted according to a well-established quality assurance program. The annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk were also calculated. Results show that the radon concentrations varied from 7 ± 1 Bq/m<sup>3</sup> and 5148 ± 772 Bq/m<sup>3</sup>, with a geometric mean of 67 Bq/m<sup>3</sup> and geometric standard deviation of 2.5. The annual effective dose to workers was found to be 1.6 mSv/y and comparable with the worldwide average. In Italy, following the transposition of the European Directive 59/2013, great attention was paid to the radon risk in workplaces. The interest of the workers of the monitored sites was very high and this, certainly contributed to the high return rate of the detectors after exposure and therefore, to the presence of few missing data. Although it was not possible to study the factors affecting radon concentrations, certainly the main advantage of this study is that it was the first in which an entire public health company was monitored in regards to all the premises on the underground and ground floor. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:34:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ab0593f7e64e4019840456e107662b51 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:34:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-ab0593f7e64e4019840456e107662b512023-12-11T18:16:38ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292021-02-0111317810.3390/life11030178Indoor Radon Concentration and Risk Assessment in 27 Districts of a Public Healthcare Company in Naples, South ItalyFilomena Loffredo0Federica Savino1Roberto Amato2Alfredo Irollo3Francesco Gargiulo4Giuseppe Sabatino5Marcello Serra6Maria Quarto7Advanced Biomedical Science Department, University of Naples, 80131 Naples, ItalyLB Business Services srl, 00135 Rome, ItalyOccupational Health Service, Public Healthcare “Napoli 3”, 34102 Naples, ItalyProtection and Prevention Service, Public Healthcare “Napoli 3”, 34102 Naples, ItalyBuilding Division Office, University of Naples, 80138 Naples, ItalyAdvanced Metrological and Technological Services (CeSMA), University of Naples, 80138 Naples, ItalyAdvanced Biomedical Science Department, University of Naples, 80131 Naples, ItalyAdvanced Biomedical Science Department, University of Naples, 80131 Naples, ItalyRadon is a major source of ionizing radiation exposure for the general population. It is known that exposure to radon is a risk factor for the onset of lung cancer. In this study, the results of a radon survey conducted in all districts of a Public Healthcare in Italy, are reported. Measurements of indoor radon were performed using nuclear track detectors, CR-39. The entire survey was conducted according to a well-established quality assurance program. The annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk were also calculated. Results show that the radon concentrations varied from 7 ± 1 Bq/m<sup>3</sup> and 5148 ± 772 Bq/m<sup>3</sup>, with a geometric mean of 67 Bq/m<sup>3</sup> and geometric standard deviation of 2.5. The annual effective dose to workers was found to be 1.6 mSv/y and comparable with the worldwide average. In Italy, following the transposition of the European Directive 59/2013, great attention was paid to the radon risk in workplaces. The interest of the workers of the monitored sites was very high and this, certainly contributed to the high return rate of the detectors after exposure and therefore, to the presence of few missing data. Although it was not possible to study the factors affecting radon concentrations, certainly the main advantage of this study is that it was the first in which an entire public health company was monitored in regards to all the premises on the underground and ground floor.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/3/178radoneffective doseworkplaces |
| spellingShingle | Filomena Loffredo Federica Savino Roberto Amato Alfredo Irollo Francesco Gargiulo Giuseppe Sabatino Marcello Serra Maria Quarto Indoor Radon Concentration and Risk Assessment in 27 Districts of a Public Healthcare Company in Naples, South Italy Life radon effective dose workplaces |
| title | Indoor Radon Concentration and Risk Assessment in 27 Districts of a Public Healthcare Company in Naples, South Italy |
| title_full | Indoor Radon Concentration and Risk Assessment in 27 Districts of a Public Healthcare Company in Naples, South Italy |
| title_fullStr | Indoor Radon Concentration and Risk Assessment in 27 Districts of a Public Healthcare Company in Naples, South Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Indoor Radon Concentration and Risk Assessment in 27 Districts of a Public Healthcare Company in Naples, South Italy |
| title_short | Indoor Radon Concentration and Risk Assessment in 27 Districts of a Public Healthcare Company in Naples, South Italy |
| title_sort | indoor radon concentration and risk assessment in 27 districts of a public healthcare company in naples south italy |
| topic | radon effective dose workplaces |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/3/178 |
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