Three experiments were conducted with a volunteer to test the kinetics of the 222Rn exhalation after a short-time exposure to an elevated 222Rn air concentration. Radon concentration in an exhaled air was measured, complemented by whole body counting of 222Rn decay products in a body. Exhaled activities are compared with the prediction of the recent ICRP biokinetic model for radon. While a rapid equilibration of the exhaled radon activity concentration with that in the air inhaled corresponded with the model, the measured 222Rn exhalation rate was significantly less than modelled. Five hours after termination of the inhalation phase, the radon concentration in the exhaled air decreased to levels expected for non-elevated indoor radon activity concentration. Whole body activities of the 222Rn decay products were found higher than expected. Inhalation of the unattached fraction or residual activity of decay products in the air inhaled may be the explanation.
- MeSH
- Kinetics MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Air Pollutants, Radioactive * analysis MeSH
- Radon * analysis MeSH
- Exhalation MeSH
- Air Pollution, Indoor * analysis MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Results from epidemiological studies on lung cancer and radon exposure in dwellings and mines led to a significant revision of recommendations and regulations of international organisations, such as WHO, IAEA, Nordic Countries, European Commission. Within the European project RADPAR, scientists from 18 institutions of 14 European countries worked together for 3 y (2009-12). Among other reports, a comprehensive booklet of recommendations was produced with the aim that they should be useful both for countries with a well-developed radon programme and for countries with little experience on radon issues. In this paper, the main RADPAR recommendations on radon programmes and policies are described and discussed. These recommendations should be very useful in preparing a national action plan, required by the recent Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom.
- MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Radiation Monitoring standards MeSH
- Radiation Protection standards MeSH
- Radioactive Pollutants adverse effects analysis MeSH
- Radon adverse effects analysis MeSH
- Guidelines as Topic * MeSH
- Environmental Exposure legislation & jurisprudence prevention & control MeSH
- Air Pollution, Indoor prevention & control MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
Results of field tests with explosive dispersal of a radioactive substance (RaS) are presented. The paper deals with tests exploiting artificial obstacles as a continuation and expansion of the tests used in this study performed in free area described previously. The essential goal of the tests was to estimate the distribution of the released RaS in the case of intentional abuse of radioactive sources and to get a set of data applicable to testing physical or mathematical models of propagation. Effects of different geometrical and meteorological conditions on the distribution of dispersed RaS were studied via the assessment of dose rate, surface and volume activities, aerosol mass and activity aerodynamic diameters. The principal results can be summarised as follows: the prevalent proportion of the activity of the radionuclide dispersed by an explosion (born by the blast wave and by air convection) is transferred to the detection system/collecting pads essentially within the first minute. Enhanced aerosol mass concentrations were also detected within the same period. The RaS carried by the blast wave passed through the polygon (50 m) within <1 s. An expected crucial impact of meteorological conditions at the moment of the explosion and shortly after was proved by the tests.
Urinary excretion of uranium of 40 uranium miners was determined by the high-resolution inductively coupled mass spectrometry method. The concentration of uranium in the urine of the miners was converted to daily excretion of (238)U either under the assumption that the daily urinary excretion is 1.6 l or daily urinary excretion of creatinine is 1.7 g and compared with the excretion of (238)U calculated with a biokinetic model. Input data to the excretion model were derived from personal three- component ALGADE dosemeters, using the component for the estimation of inhalation of long-lived alpha radionuclides. Experimentally found contents of uranium in the urine of uranium miners are generally lower than the modelled ones, which means that the dosimetric approach is conservative. The uncertainty of inhalation intakes, derived from the measurements of filters from personal dosemeters, and the uncertainty of the concentration of uranium in the urine are discussed.
Indoor radon concentrations are subject to diurnal and seasonal variations. In order to obtain an unbiased estimate of the annual mean radon concentration, measurements made over periods less than 12 months have to be adjusted accordingly. In this paper, hourly radon measurements from one uninhabited rural house in Telecí in the Czech Republic have been analysed. The data were collected over a period of 1 y. The behaviour of the radon concentration with time and its relationship with the outdoor temperature, wind speed and atmospheric pressure have been studied. Different estimates of the annual mean radon concentration based on short-term continuous measurements have been assessed.
- MeSH
- Housing MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Radiation Monitoring MeSH
- Air Pollution, Radioactive analysis MeSH
- Radon analysis MeSH
- Air Pollution, Indoor analysis MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
Uranium in the urine of 10 uranium miners (hewers), 27 members of general population and 11 family members of miners was determined by the High-Resolution ICP-MS method. Concentration of uranium in urine of the miners was converted to daily excretion of (238)U under the assumption that the daily excretion of urine is 2 l and compared with the modelled excretion of (238)U. Daily excretion of (238)U was modelled using input data from personal dosemeters from a component for measurement of intake of long-lived alpha radionuclides. A reasonable agreement between evaluated and measured values was found. The uncertainty of inhalation intakes, derived from measurements of filters from personal dosemeters, and uncertainty of concentration of uranium in urine are discussed.
- MeSH
- Alpha Particles MeSH
- Radiation Dosage MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Mass Spectrometry MeSH
- Mining MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Radiation Monitoring MeSH
- Pilot Projects MeSH
- Occupational Exposure analysis MeSH
- Cesium Radioisotopes analysis MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Uranium urine MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
During recent years, the assessment of possible radiological consequences of a terrorist attack associated with a release of radioactive substances (RaS) has been in the focus of interest of emergency preparedness and radiation protection specialists, as well as experts dealing with the dispersion of harmful substances in the atmosphere. Suitable tools for these analyses are applications of mathematical and physical models and simulation of this attack under 'realistic' conditions. The work presented here summarises the results of four tests, in which a RaS (a Tc-99 m solution) was dispersed over a free area with the use of an industrial explosive. Detection methods and techniques employed in these tests are described and values characterising the RaS dispersion--dose rates, surface activities in horizontal and vertical directions, volume activities, their space and time distributions and mass concentrations of aerosols produced after the explosion are presented and compared. These data will be applied to a comparison of outcomes of models used for the assessment of radiation accidents as well as in future field tests carried out under conditions of more complex geometry (indoor environment, terrain obstacles, etc.).
