Hahn Ellen J, Haneberg William C, Stanifer Stacy R, Rademacher Kathy, Backus Jason, Rayens Mary Kay
BREATHE, College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America.
Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America.
Environ Res Health. 2023 Jun;1(2). doi: 10.1088/2752-5309/acdcb3. Epub 2023 Jun 21.
Exposure to tobacco smoke and radon cause lung cancer. Radioactive decay of naturally occurring uranium in bedrock produces radon. Seasonality, bedrock type, age of home, and topography have been associated with indoor radon, but the research is mixed. The study objective was to examine the relationships of geologic (soil radon and bedrock) and seasonal (warm and cold times of the year) factors with indoor home radon values in citizen scientists' homes over time, controlling for atmospheric conditions, topography, age of home, and home exposure to tobacco smoke. We collected and analyzed indoor radon values, soil radon gas concentrations, and dwelling- and county-level geologic and atmospheric conditions on 66 properties in four rural counties during two seasons: (1) summer 2021 ( = 53); and (2) winter/spring 2022 ( = 52). Citizen scientists measured indoor radon using Airthings radon sensors, and outdoor temperature and rainfall. Geologists obtained soil radon measurements using RAD7 instruments at two locations (near the dwelling and farther away) at each dwelling, testing for associations of indoor radon values with soil values, bedrock type, topography, and atmospheric conditions. Bedrock type, near soil radon levels, home age, and barometric pressure were associated with indoor radon. Dwellings built on carbonate bedrock had indoor radon values that were 2.8 pCi/L (103.6 Bq m) higher, on average, compared to homes built on siliclastic rock. Homes with higher near soil radon and those built <40 ago were more likely to have indoor radon ⩾4.0 pCi/L (148 Bq m). With higher atmospheric barometric pressure during testing, observed indoor radon values were lower. Seasonality and topography were not associated with indoor radon level. Understanding relationships among bedrock type, soil radon, and indoor radon exposure allows the development of practical predictive models that may support pre-construction forecasting of indoor radon potential based on geologic factors.
接触烟草烟雾和氡会导致肺癌。基岩中天然存在的铀的放射性衰变会产生氡。季节性、基岩类型、房屋年龄和地形都与室内氡有关，但研究结果不一。本研究的目的是随着时间的推移，在控制大气条件、地形、房屋年龄和房屋接触烟草烟雾的情况下，研究地质（土壤氡和基岩）和季节性（一年中的温暖和寒冷时期）因素与公民科学家家中室内氡值之间的关系。我们在两个季节收集并分析了四个农村县66处房产的室内氡值、土壤氡气浓度以及住宅和县级的地质和大气条件：（1）2021年夏季（n = 53）；以及（2）2022年冬/春（n = 52）。公民科学家使用Airthings氡传感器测量室内氡，以及室外温度和降雨量。地质学家在每个住宅的两个位置（靠近住宅和较远位置）使用RAD7仪器获取土壤氡测量值，测试室内氡值与土壤值、基岩类型、地形和大气条件之间的关联。基岩类型、附近土壤氡水平、房屋年龄和气压与室内氡有关。与建在硅质碎屑岩上的房屋相比，建在碳酸盐基岩上的住宅室内氡值平均高出2.8 pCi/L（103.6 Bq/m³）。附近土壤氡较高的房屋以及建于40年前以内的房屋更有可能室内氡≥4.0 pCi/L（148 Bq/m³）。在测试期间气压较高时，观察到的室内氡值较低。季节性和地形与室内氡水平无关。了解基岩类型、土壤氡和室内氡暴露之间的关系有助于开发实用的预测模型，这些模型可能支持基于地质因素对室内氡潜力进行施工前预测。
