Short-Term Temporal Variability of Radon in Finnish Dwellings and the Use of Temporal Correction Factors
(1) Background: Affordable electronic radon instruments have become increasingly popular as alternatives to traditional home radon measurements, which require a minimum duration of two months. This study aimed to determine how results obtained from these devices should be interpreted and whether sho...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/5/489 |
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| author | Tuukka Turtiainen Katja Kojo Päivi Kurttio |
| author_facet | Tuukka Turtiainen Katja Kojo Päivi Kurttio |
| author_sort | Tuukka Turtiainen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | (1) Background: Affordable electronic radon instruments have become increasingly popular as alternatives to traditional home radon measurements, which require a minimum duration of two months. This study aimed to determine how results obtained from these devices should be interpreted and whether short-term measurements lasting 2–5 days can be reliably used to assess the need for radon remediation in buildings, estimate residents’ exposure, or assess public exposure. (2) Methods: A year-long radon measurement was conducted in 55 dwellings, selected to represent the Finnish housing stock as accurately as possible. Radon concentrations were recorded hourly, and the results were analysed using probabilistic analysis to calculate the likelihood of erroneous assessments. (3) Results: If a maximum false-negative rate of 1% is accepted, the action level for a 2–5-day measurement is 90–100 Bq/m<sup>3</sup>. For measurements exceeding this threshold, a longer measurement period is necessary. (4) Conclusions: Based on this study, short-term radon measurements cannot yet be recommended as a replacement for current methods. However, the study revealed significant radon level fluctuations in September, suggesting that this period should be reconsidered for inclusion in the measurement season. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-baf6b86a55d94d09a39dc90dab58f3f5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-baf6b86a55d94d09a39dc90dab58f3f52025-08-20T02:33:30ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-04-0116548910.3390/atmos16050489Short-Term Temporal Variability of Radon in Finnish Dwellings and the Use of Temporal Correction FactorsTuukka Turtiainen0Katja Kojo1Päivi Kurttio2Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), 01370 Vantaa, FinlandRadiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), 01370 Vantaa, FinlandRadiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), 01370 Vantaa, Finland(1) Background: Affordable electronic radon instruments have become increasingly popular as alternatives to traditional home radon measurements, which require a minimum duration of two months. This study aimed to determine how results obtained from these devices should be interpreted and whether short-term measurements lasting 2–5 days can be reliably used to assess the need for radon remediation in buildings, estimate residents’ exposure, or assess public exposure. (2) Methods: A year-long radon measurement was conducted in 55 dwellings, selected to represent the Finnish housing stock as accurately as possible. Radon concentrations were recorded hourly, and the results were analysed using probabilistic analysis to calculate the likelihood of erroneous assessments. (3) Results: If a maximum false-negative rate of 1% is accepted, the action level for a 2–5-day measurement is 90–100 Bq/m<sup>3</sup>. For measurements exceeding this threshold, a longer measurement period is necessary. (4) Conclusions: Based on this study, short-term radon measurements cannot yet be recommended as a replacement for current methods. However, the study revealed significant radon level fluctuations in September, suggesting that this period should be reconsidered for inclusion in the measurement season.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/5/489radonindoor airtemporal variationdwellingcorrection factor |
| spellingShingle | Tuukka Turtiainen Katja Kojo Päivi Kurttio Short-Term Temporal Variability of Radon in Finnish Dwellings and the Use of Temporal Correction Factors Atmosphere radon indoor air temporal variation dwelling correction factor |
| title | Short-Term Temporal Variability of Radon in Finnish Dwellings and the Use of Temporal Correction Factors |
| title_full | Short-Term Temporal Variability of Radon in Finnish Dwellings and the Use of Temporal Correction Factors |
| title_fullStr | Short-Term Temporal Variability of Radon in Finnish Dwellings and the Use of Temporal Correction Factors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Short-Term Temporal Variability of Radon in Finnish Dwellings and the Use of Temporal Correction Factors |
| title_short | Short-Term Temporal Variability of Radon in Finnish Dwellings and the Use of Temporal Correction Factors |
| title_sort | short term temporal variability of radon in finnish dwellings and the use of temporal correction factors |
| topic | radon indoor air temporal variation dwelling correction factor |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/5/489 |
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