Indoor Radon Measurement in Buildings of A.O.R.N Cardarelli, the Largest Hospital of National Relevance in Southern Italy

oleh: Filomena Loffredo, Tiziana Capussela, Fortuna De Martino, Maria Quarto

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-07-01

Deskripsi

Indoor radon concentrations constitute a major source of exposure to ionizing radiation for humans. It has been estimated that radon contributes about 10% of deaths from lung cancer in the USA and Europe. In Italy, current legislation establishes that the concentration of radon must be monitored in all workplaces located in a basement and on the ground floor. In this study, the indoor radon concentration of 20 multi-floor buildings on the Cardarelli Hospital was measured during two consecutive semesters. The survey was carried out with CR-39 solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs). Radon concentrations were found to range from 4 Bq/m<sup>3</sup> to 424 Bq/m<sup>3</sup>, with a median of 24 Bq/m<sup>3</sup>. The dependence of the radon concentrations on the measurement floor and the room-to-room spatial variation was also analyzed.