Investigation and Analysis of Indoor Radon Concentrations in Typical Residential Areas in Central China

Abstract

In recent years, China has experienced a notable increase in indoor radon concentrations. However, our understanding of residential radon exposure in Central China remains limited and primarily depends on the data collected from residential buildings in Wuhan before 2003. Given this context, the current radon exposure levels in Central China must be assessed immediately, and the factors influencing them be investigated. To address this gap, our study focused on five representative areas in Central China. We monitored indoor radon concentrations in residential areas using random cluster sampling while considering various building structures. The radon levels were measured through the alpha track method, and RSKS standard detectors were deployed in two separate batches to participating households. A total of 1300 detectors were distributed across 579 households, with a recovery rate of 97.15% (1263 detectors were retrieved). The annual average indoor radon concentration in Central China ranged widely from 6.25 Bq/m3 to 310.44 Bq/m3, with an arithmetic mean of 50.20 Bq/m3, which resulted in an average annual effective dose of 2.08 mSv. Referring to World Health Organization standards, the radon concentration in approximately 8.24% of the monitored rooms exceeded the recommended action level. Our analysis indicated that radon concentration is primarily influenced by factors, such as the time of measurement, geographical location, building structure, floor materials, household fuel, and ventilation practices. Multiple regression analysis revealed that these factors collectively account for 10.80% of the variation in radon concentration. Notably, geographical location, building structure, and ventilation mode emerged as important factors. Based on these findings, our study suggests several practical measures to effectively reduce indoor radon levels, including improving ventilation, switching to cleaner fuels, and using environmentally friendly building and decoration materials.