The Science of the Total Environment, 45 (1985) 351--356 351

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam --Printed in The Netherlands

A PILOT STUDY OF N A T U R A L RADIATION IN DANISH HOUSES

A. S O R E N S E N , L. BOTTER-JENSEN, B. MAJBORN, and S. P. NIELSEN

Health Physics DeDartment, Riso National Laboratory, DK-4000
Roskilde (Denmark)

ABSTRACT

A Dilot study was carried out to e s t a b l i s h techniques and proce-

dures for the m e a s u r e m e n t of indoor r a d i a t i o n in Denmark. A passive
CUD d o s e m e t e r was d e s i g n e d c o n t a i n i n g CR39 track d e t e c t o r s and
TLD's to measure radon and external radiation, resDectively.

A total of 82 d w e l l i n g s were selected covering most regions

of the country. The d w e l l i n g s were m o n i t o r e d in two t h r e e - m o n t h
p e r i o d s , one in w i n t e r and the other in summer. The average dose
rate in air from external r a d i a t i o n was 0.09 uG h -I. In the winter
the average radon c o n c e n t r a t i o n s were 88 Bq m -~ and 24 Bq m -3 for
s i n g l e - f a m i l y houses and flats, resDectively; and in the summer
the c o r r e s D o n d i n g values were 52 Bq m -3 and 19 Bq m -3.

INTRODUCTION
The p r e s e n t study was conducted to investigate measurement
techniques, establish procedures for a subsequent nation-wide sur-
vey, and get a first impression of radiation levels in Danish
dwellings. The study was partly financed by the Commission of
the E u r o p e a n C o m m u n i t i e s (contract No. B I O - F - 5 5 5 - D K ( A D ) , 1983/84).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A Dassive dosemeter was designed to m e a s u r e radon as well as
external radiation. It is a closed CUD dosemeter. The sensitive
elements are CR39 track d e t e c t o r s for the m e a s u r e m e n t of radon and
thermoluminescence dosemeters (TLDs) for the m e a s u r e m e n t of exter-
nal radiation.

The c o m p o n e n t s of the d o s e m e t e r are shown in Fig. i. The cup is

a commercially available p l a s t i c container, 7.5 cm in d i a m e t e r and

0048-9697/85/$03.30 © 1985 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.

352

5.5 cm high (outer dimensions). It is provided with a perforated

lid with 6 holes, (each having a diameter of 5 mm) and a glass
fibre filter (Whatman GF/A). This c o m b i n a t i o n results in a charac-
teristic diffusion time (I-I) of about I0 min for the d i f f u s i o n of
radon into or out of the CUD. The TLD unit is sealed into a Plastic
envelooe and taped onto a cardboard disc, which is placed in the
b o t t o m of the cup. Another cardboard disc, holding two pieces of
CR39, is placed on too of the TLD Dackaqe. The diameter of the
uDDer cardboard disc is s l i g ht l y greater than the inner d i a m e t e r
of the lower part of the cup, so that a firm Dress fitting is
obtained. Generally, only one of the two pieces of CR39 is etched
and counted. The other piece acts as a b a c k - u p detector.

Plastic cup

Perforated lid

Filter (Whatman GF/A)

CR39 detector
2 pieces on cardboard disc

TL d o s e m e t e r unit
on cardboard disc.
Plastic envelope cut
half away

Fig. i. Exploded view of the cup dosemeter.

Active measurements of radon and radon d a u g h t e r s were made with

scintillation flasks and gross alpha sequential counters, respect-
ively. Active measurements of external radiation levels were made
with a high-pressure ionization chamber and a Plastic scintillator.
 353

A 200 liter steel barrel with a 7-103 Bq RaCI source was used
for c a l i b r a t i o n of the cud dosemeter. The radon concentration in
the barrel was around 30 kBq m -3. Furthermore, a 6 m 3 cellar room
with a radon concentration around 2.5 kBq m -3 was used for cali-
bration DurDoses.
Calibration of the instruments used to measure radon, and
radon d a u g h t e r s was based upon the calibration of the scintil-
lation flasks. The absolute calibration of this system was com-
pared at the National Radiological Protection Board, UK, in
1982 and 1984 at CEC-organized intercalibration meetings. Com-
Darisons have also been made with three Danish Laboratories. The
calibration of radon daughter measurement equipment was carried
out by comparing radon and RaA concentrations in the cellar room
under conditions of e q u i l i b r i u m between the two.

MEASUREMENT PROGRAMME
The pilot survey of radiation levels in Danish houses com-
prised 82 d w e l l i n g s distributed over most regions of the country.
Of the dwellings i0 were flats and 72 were single-family houses
with one or two floors. Integrating measurements were made in a
three-month winter (I Dec. 1983 to 29 Febr. 1984), and a three-
month summer period (22 May to 13 Aug. 1984). The locations of
the d w e l l i n g s are shown in Fig. 5.

RESULTS OF M E A S U R E M E N T S OF E X T E R N A L RADIATION
The dose rates from e x t e r n a l radiation do not differ from w i n t e r
to summer. The mean value for all d w e l l i n g s is 0.09 ~Gy h -1, cf.
Fig. 2, w h i c h shows the results of the summer m e a s u r e m e n t s . Mini-
m u m and maximum values are 0.06 and 0.13 ~Gy h -1, respectively.
The mean dose rate for brick houses is 0.09 ~Gy h -I. The c o r r e s p o n d -
ing values for concrete and wood houses are 0.08 ~Gy h -I and
0.06 ~Gy h -1, respectively. The active spot m e a s u r e m e n t s of q a m m a
radiation are in good agreement with the TLD results.
354

99.9

99

95
9O
__.B .~

50
¢D r~¢.,

i0
5 /.
• mm m
m

0.I I
0.03 0.05 0.07 0.09 0.II 0.13 0.15

~Gy h-I

Fig. 2. Cumulative distribution of TLD results, summer 1984.

R E S U L T S OF M E A S U R E M E N T S OF RADON AND RADON D A U G H T E R C O N C E N T R A T I O N S

The r e s u l t s of the m e a s u r e m e n t s of radon c o n c e n t r a t i o n s showed
a marked difference between the winter and summer periods, and
also b e t w e e n flats and single-family houses, see Figs. 3 and 4.
The g e o m e t r i c m e a n values of R n - 2 2 2 for s i n g l e - f a m i l y houses were
88 Bq m -3 in winter and 52 Bq m -3 in summer. The corresponding
values for flats were 24 and 19 Bq m -3.
In s i n g l e - f a m i l y houses the parameters of imDortance for the
radon concentration are ingress from the ground, air e x c h a n g e and
building materials. The ingress from the ground accounts for the
generally higher concentrations in single-family houses than in
flats. D u r i n g the winter the rate of exchange between inside and
outside air is kept rather low in D a n i s h houses and the d i f f e r e n c e s
in radon concentrations between living-rooms, bedrooms and even
basement rooms were found to be insignificant. On the o t h e r hand,
significant differences were found in the summer period, where
the m e a n values were 55 Bq m -3 in living-rooms, 43 Bq m -3 in
bedrooms and 82 Bq m -3 in b a s e m e n t rooms.
 355

~" 99 -- -b- -I . . . . ~,"

_~ io- .... -.._.

--f~" ~7 Flats

O1
¢i 10 30 60 100 300 600

Bq m -3

Fig. 3. Cumulative distributions of passive radon measurements,

winter 1983/84.

999

99
/0
b8
95 _m~
9O J.
= il

¢)
50
J£
~Z~v
r~
J,=
g

10
5
:::7 F l a t s
[] S i n g l e - f a m i l y houses
O1 .L l. lllll I ] 1 I

6 10 30 60 100 300 600

Bq m -3

Fig. 4. Cumulative distributions of Passive radon measurements,

summer 1984.
356

• ~ 2

0 50 100 km
I ~ J J J I t j i J I

Fig. 5. Locations of the dwellings.

The simultaneous active measurements of radon and radon d a u g h t e r s

showed a wide variation in the value of the e q u i l i b r i u m factor F.
In the winter period F ranges from 0.2 to 1.0 with a geometric
mean value of 0.4. In the summer period the range is 0.i to 0.8
with a geometric mean of 0.2.