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Title: UTILITY OF SHORT-TERM BASEMENT SCREENING RADON MEASUREMENTS TO PREDICT YEAR-LONG RESIDENTIAL RADON CONCENTRATIONS ON UPPER FLOORS.

Authors: Barros, Nirmalla; Steck, Daniel J; William Field, R

Published In Radiat Prot Dosimetry, (2016 Nov)

Abstract: This study investigated temporal and spatial variability between basement radon concentrations (measured for ∼7 d using electret ion chambers) and basement and upper floor radon concentrations (measured for 1 y using alpha track detectors) in 158 residences in Iowa, USA. Utility of short-term measurements to approximate a person's residential radon exposure and effect of housing/occupant factors on predictive ability were evaluated. About 60 % of basement short-term, 60 % of basement year-long and 30 % of upper floor year-long radon measurements were equal to or above the United States Environmental Protection Agency's radon action level of 148 Bq m-3 Predictive value of a positive short-term test was 44 % given the year-long living space concentration was equal to or above this action level. Findings from this study indicate that cumulative radon-related exposure was more closely approximated by upper floor year-long measurements than short-term or year-long measurements in the basement.

PubMed ID: 26410767 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Air Pollutants, Radioactive/analysis*; Air Pollution, Indoor/analysis*; Female; Housing; Humans; Iowa; Middle Aged; Predictive Value of Tests; Radiation Monitoring/methods*; Radon/analysis*; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States

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