• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.97-104
• /
• 2007

The corelation between the indoor volume and the measured radon concentration has been analyzed by comparing the radon concentration and the indoor volume of apartment rooms in Jeonju City. We also measured the annual exposure dose based on the variation in indoor radon concentration over time. To do this, we took 8 larger rooms and 8 smaller rooms of apartment, respectively, as a sample. The average volume of the larger rooms and that of the smaller rooms were $31.59\;m^3$ and $16.82\;m^3$, respectively. The average radon concentration of the larger rooms and that of the smaller rooms turned out to be $71.73\;Bq/m^3$ and $108.51\;Eq/m^3$, respectively. indicating that indoor volume is in inverse proportion to the radon concentration, i.e., the bigger the ratio of the surface area/volume, the higher the indoor radon concentration. From the measurement of the variation in indoor radon concentration over time fur a single day, the average intraday radon concentration variation was found to be about $46.8\;Bq/m^3$. The highest level of concentration ($114.5\;Bq/m^3$) was measured between 8 and 10 AM and the lowest level of concentration ($67.7\;Bq/m^3$) between 2 and 4 PM. The annual exposure dose turned out to be in the range of 0.3 mSv/yr to 2.16 mSv/yr, showing that the dose in some apartments exceeded 1.3 mSv/yr, the numerical value presented by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR).

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.24-31
• /
• 2019

In this paper, we simulated a new apartment building by using radon emission test values from various building materials used as interior finishing materials. The simulations evaluated the radon concentration in the room according to the radon emissions and the ventilations for each type of finishing material (gypsum board, stone, tile and concrete). Overall concrete finish simulation case showed the highest concentration than the case using other materials due to the effect of wall area at the center of each room and the mean radon concentration at 1.5 m above the floor was slightly lower than the mean value at each center. In the case of the porch, pantry and bathroom, the radon concentration was high even when the same materials were used as in the other rooms.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.71-76
• /
• 2002

A survey of radon concentrations in both indoor and outdoor atmospheres was carried out using EIRM and Cup Monitor for the period of February 1996 to March 1997. EIRM were used to measure the indoor and outdoor radon concentration at five major cities university. Cup Monitor were also used to measure the indoor radon concentrations at shopping store, office building, apartment, hospital and house in Seoul. The mean indoor and outdoor radon concentrations at the five major cities(Seoul, Daegu, Daejon, Cwangiu and Busan) were 24.1 Bq/m$^3$and 8.62 Bq/m$^3$, respectively. The ratio of indoor to outdoor radon concentrations ranged front 1.7 to 3.9. Inspection of its seasonal distribute pattern indicates the enhancement during winter relative to summer, consistently for both indoor and outdoor air. The results of the survey showed that the concentrations in basements were clearly higher than those in usual living/working places.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.397-412
• /
• 1996

This study aims to present the fundamental strategies to improve the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in apartment buildings. To investigate the concentration of indoor air pollutants such as radon, formaldehyde, and VOCs, both the document survey and the field measurement were conducted. In addition, to identify the source of the air pollutants, the laboratory experiment was carried out for various building materials. Finally, the minimum period to be reserved befor3e building occupation to ensure healthy IAQ, which largely depends on the ventilation rates, was simulated using a simple compuer program. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: 1. In case of newly-constructed apartment houses, concentrations of formaldehyde, VOCs and radon were found to exceed the standard. Meanwhile, at existing apartment houses, concentrations of VOCs, particularly toluene and xylene, highly exceeded the standasrd level. Concentrations of formaldehyde and radon, however, had been lowered according to the duration of occupation. 2. The laboratory experiment of concentration of pollutants per square meter of building material surface area showed that radon gas was much emitted from the gypsumboard; formaldehyde from flooring and wallpaper; and VOCs from paints and kitchen furnishings. The emission rates of formaldehyde and VOCs were proportional to air temperature. 3. According to the simulation of the minimum period to be reserved before occupation, newly-constructed airtight houses required about 190-200 days, and naturally ventialted houses with fully-open-windows required about 20-45days, in order to keep the level of radon gas lower than standard. Therefore, with the current practice, the date of occupation should be delayed for about 15 days.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.138-143
• /
• 2013

Objective: Building materials can generate radon in indoor environments. This study aims to assess the radon concentrations of studio apartments around a university. Methods: 25 studio apartments around a University in Gyoungsan, Korea were measured for concentrations of radon. We evaluated the radon concentrations by using short-term continuous radon monitors at the studio apartments around the university, and analyzed the correlation between indoor radon concentration and factors affecting it, such as year of construction. Results: The average concentration of radon was 2.03 pCi/L(75.11 $Bq/m^3$)${\pm}1.34$ in the studio apartments. This radon level was lower than the radon standard for public use facilities in Korea and US EPA's standard of 4 pCi/L. However the measured radon levels were much higher than those previously reported in conventional dwellings. There was a statistically correlation between year of construction and radon concentrations in studio apartment buildings. Conclusion: It is suggested that recently built studio apartments might be constructed with phosphogypsum board that features higher radon emissions, and occupants are highly exposed to radon.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.49-57
• /
• 2020

Controlling the quality of indoor air is important in order to maintain a healthy life. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the hazardous substance concentration of indoor air and circulation based on different ventilation methods in the apartment, which is one of the representative housing types in Korea. As target substances, we considered the hazardous substances which are generated during the cooking process and radon gas which is originated from building materials. We measured the concentrations of carbon dioxide and fine particles in relation to type of food and ventilation methods in order to determine the change in the concentration levels of hazardous substances which are generated during the cooking process. On the other hand, we measured the concentration of radon gas before and after letting fresh air into a room through windows in order to determine the change in the concentration level of radon gas which is originated from building materials. The results show that turning on the ventilation fan plays a major role in reducing the concentration levels of hazardous substances in the kitchen, and that it is more effective to turn on the ventilation fan during cooking than after cooking to prevent the diffusion of hazardous materials produced by cooking through the indoor air. Also, the results indicate that letting fresh air into a room through windows more than one time a day is necessary to reduce the concentration level of radon gas in the room to safe concentration range.