Indoor radon (222Rn) in a public workplace of Aldama, Chihuahua, Mexico and level of worker exposure

Abstract

The inhalation of radon gas (²²²Rn) induces lung cancer in humans. The objective of this research was to quantify the ²²²Rn levels in a public office. The study was carried out in two stages; in the first stage (FS), the ²²²Rn was determined at three high levels (0.74 m, 1.33 m and 2.06 m) away from the main door, while in the second stage (SS) it was determined at the center of the office. The concentration was obtained with a portable AlphaGuard device, Professional Radon Monitor. An ANOVA analysis was performed for each step (α = 0.05), considering a factorial arrangement design 3×2. For both FS and SS were detected statistical differences for the height factor (p < 0.05) and time factor (p < 0.05), but not for the interaction (p > 0.05). The ²²²Rn concentration was greatest at the height of 0.74 m (161.31 Bq m^-3 in FS and 168.21 Bq m^-3 in SS) which is higher than that of the international standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) of 100 Bq m^-3 and higher than the standards of the United States of America (USA) of 148 Bq m^-3.