Overview and large-scale representative estimate of radon-222 flux data in China
The inert radioactive gas radon-222, ubiquitous in the environment, is the first cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and a powerful asset to trace geological fluids and constrain atmospheric transport models. In all of these applications, radon flux (RF) from the ground needs to be estimated. Howeve...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Environmental Advances |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666765722001478 |
| _version_ | 1797884513725972480 |
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| author | Bo Lei Lingjuan Zhao Frédéric Girault Ziqi Cai Caiwu Luo Sandeep Thapa Jiaxin She Frédéric Perrier |
| author_facet | Bo Lei Lingjuan Zhao Frédéric Girault Ziqi Cai Caiwu Luo Sandeep Thapa Jiaxin She Frédéric Perrier |
| author_sort | Bo Lei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The inert radioactive gas radon-222, ubiquitous in the environment, is the first cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and a powerful asset to trace geological fluids and constrain atmospheric transport models. In all of these applications, radon flux (RF) from the ground needs to be estimated. However, obtaining a large-scale representative estimate of RF in continental land is a challenging task and a starting basis is to focus on large countries in the world. Here, we collected a total of 2622 direct RF measurements carried out in continental China from 1988 to 2021 using 69 publications in a 494-document pool. Over the whole dataset, the RF results were classified into geographical provinces, time periods and substratum types. Mean RF values yield 180±32, 36.9±4.8, 31.1±1.0, 66.1±1.6 and 1510±100 mBq m−2 s−1 in metamorphic and igneous (n=71), sedimentary (n=24), Quaternary (n=585), faulted areas (n=832) and uranium-related sites (n=898), respectively. Considering geology only, mean RF for China (66±11 mBq m−2 s−1) is larger than most large-scale estimates worldwide. To account for the distribution of soil thickness, RF values were extrapolated to representative soil thickness values per lithology using a scaling law inferred from natural sites. The inferred corrected mean RF for China yields 20.2±6.1 mBq m−2 s−1, corresponding to a total radon-222 emission of (191±43)×109 Bq s−1, and appears compatible with available large-scale estimates in Europe or at global scale. Potential sources of systematic bias and variability, such as vegetation cover, meteorological and seasonal effects, remain. The contribution of urban areas, estimated for the first time, was found significant. Our study suggests future research directions to better constrain the RF source to the atmosphere in China, and, more generally, to extract robust global-scale representative RF values from direct RF measurements. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:07:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e5cd8347d6884949b152bde763d830e4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-7657 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:07:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Advances |
| spelling | doaj.art-e5cd8347d6884949b152bde763d830e42023-03-13T04:16:15ZengElsevierEnvironmental Advances2666-76572023-04-0111100312Overview and large-scale representative estimate of radon-222 flux data in ChinaBo Lei0Lingjuan Zhao1Frédéric Girault2Ziqi Cai3Caiwu Luo4Sandeep Thapa5Jiaxin She6Frédéric Perrier7School of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China; Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris F-75005, France; Corresponding author at: School of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China.School of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR ChinaInstitut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris F-75005, FranceSchool of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR ChinaSchool of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR ChinaInstitut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris F-75005, FranceSchool of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, PR China; School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, PR ChinaInstitut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris F-75005, FranceThe inert radioactive gas radon-222, ubiquitous in the environment, is the first cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and a powerful asset to trace geological fluids and constrain atmospheric transport models. In all of these applications, radon flux (RF) from the ground needs to be estimated. However, obtaining a large-scale representative estimate of RF in continental land is a challenging task and a starting basis is to focus on large countries in the world. Here, we collected a total of 2622 direct RF measurements carried out in continental China from 1988 to 2021 using 69 publications in a 494-document pool. Over the whole dataset, the RF results were classified into geographical provinces, time periods and substratum types. Mean RF values yield 180±32, 36.9±4.8, 31.1±1.0, 66.1±1.6 and 1510±100 mBq m−2 s−1 in metamorphic and igneous (n=71), sedimentary (n=24), Quaternary (n=585), faulted areas (n=832) and uranium-related sites (n=898), respectively. Considering geology only, mean RF for China (66±11 mBq m−2 s−1) is larger than most large-scale estimates worldwide. To account for the distribution of soil thickness, RF values were extrapolated to representative soil thickness values per lithology using a scaling law inferred from natural sites. The inferred corrected mean RF for China yields 20.2±6.1 mBq m−2 s−1, corresponding to a total radon-222 emission of (191±43)×109 Bq s−1, and appears compatible with available large-scale estimates in Europe or at global scale. Potential sources of systematic bias and variability, such as vegetation cover, meteorological and seasonal effects, remain. The contribution of urban areas, estimated for the first time, was found significant. Our study suggests future research directions to better constrain the RF source to the atmosphere in China, and, more generally, to extract robust global-scale representative RF values from direct RF measurements.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666765722001478Radon-222 fluxLithologyUraniumGeological controlChinaUrban areas |
| spellingShingle | Bo Lei Lingjuan Zhao Frédéric Girault Ziqi Cai Caiwu Luo Sandeep Thapa Jiaxin She Frédéric Perrier Overview and large-scale representative estimate of radon-222 flux data in China Environmental Advances Radon-222 flux Lithology Uranium Geological control China Urban areas |
| title | Overview and large-scale representative estimate of radon-222 flux data in China |
| title_full | Overview and large-scale representative estimate of radon-222 flux data in China |
| title_fullStr | Overview and large-scale representative estimate of radon-222 flux data in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Overview and large-scale representative estimate of radon-222 flux data in China |
| title_short | Overview and large-scale representative estimate of radon-222 flux data in China |
| title_sort | overview and large scale representative estimate of radon 222 flux data in china |
| topic | Radon-222 flux Lithology Uranium Geological control China Urban areas |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666765722001478 |
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