Radon Concentrations in Various Indoor Environments and Effective Doses to Inhabitants in Korea

Abstract

The objective of this study is to offer basic scientific data to support policy decision-making for the improved control of radon and natural radiation gases in Korea, and to provide baseline data on radon for use in cooperative international research. Therefore, this study collected and re-analyzed articles on radon exposure in various indoor environments in Korea that were published in environmental journals since 1980, and estimated the annual exposure and effective radon doses for inhabitants. Among the various indoor environments, the highest pooled average radon concentration of 50.17 ± 4.08 Bq/m3 (95 % CI: 42.17-58.17 Bq/m3) was found in homes. All of the pooled average radon concentrations estimated in this study were lower than the guideline concentration (148 Bq/m3) recommended by the U.S. EPA and the Korean Ministry of Environment. The annual effective dose received by inhabitants in various indoor environments was estimated to be 1.071 mSv/yr. This is comparable to the annual radon exposure effective dose (1.0 mSv/yr) estimated by UNSCEAR.