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Room model based Monte Carlo simulation study of the relationship between the airborne dose rate and the surface-deposited radon progeny.

Sun-K; Field-RW; Steck-DJ

Health Phys 2010 Jan; 98(1):29-36

http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/HP.0b013e3181b8cf92

20036295

The quantitative relationships between radon gas concentration, the surface-deposited activities of various radon progeny, the airborne radon progeny dose rate, and various residential environmental factors were investigated through a Monte Carlo simulation study based on the extended Jacobi room model. Airborne dose rates were calculated from the unattached and attached potential alpha-energy concentrations (PAECs) using two dosimetric models. Surface-deposited (218)Po and (214)Po were significantly correlated with radon concentration, PAECs, and airborne dose rate (p-values <0.0001) in both non-smoking and smoking environments. However, in non-smoking environments, the deposited radon progeny were not highly correlated to the attached PAEC. In multiple linear regression analysis, natural logarithm transformation was performed for airborne dose rate as a dependent variable, as well as for radon and deposited (218)Po and (214)Po as predictors. In non-smoking environments, after adjusting for the effect of radon, deposited (214)Po was a significant positive predictor for one dose model (RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.27-1.67), while deposited (218)Po was a negative predictor for the other dose model (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83-0.98). In smoking environments, after adjusting for radon and room size, deposited (218)Po was a significant positive predictor for one dose model (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.19), while a significant negative predictor for the other model (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.85-0.95). After adjusting for radon and deposited (218)Po, significant increases of 1.14 (95% CI 1.03-1.27) and 1.13 (95% CI 1.05-1.22) in the mean dose rates were found for large room sizes relative to small room sizes in the different dose models.

Air-contamination; Air-monitoring; Dosimetry; Environmental-contamination; Environmental-exposure; Environmental-hazards; Exposure-assessment; Exposure-levels; Exposure-methods; Gases; Gas-indicators; Gas-sampling; Mathematical-models; Monitoring-systems; Monitors; Quantitative-analysis; Radon-daughters; Smoke-inhalation; Smoking; Statistical-analysis; Author Keywords: epidemiology; Monte Carlo; radon; radon progeny

Daniel J. Steck, Department of Physics, St. John's University, 109 Science Center, Collegeville, MN 56321

HLTPAO

10043-92-2

20100101

Journal Article

dsteck@csbsju.edu

Grant

2010

Grant-Number-T42-OH-008491

1

0017-9078

Health Physics

IA; MN

University of Iowa