Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (한국산업보건학회지)

Korean Industrial Hygiene Association (한국산업보건학회)
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Evaluation of Radon Exposure During Highway Tunnel Construction by New Austrian Tunneling Method

NATM 공법에 의한 고속도로 터널 공사 중 라돈 노출 평가

  • Ye-Ji Yu (Graduate School of Public Health and Healthcare Management, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Hyoung-Ryoul Kim (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Mo-Yeol Kang (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Sangjun Choi (Graduate School of Public Health and Healthcare Management, The Catholic University of Korea)
  • 유예지 (가톨릭대학교 보건의료경영대학원) ;
  • 김형렬 (가톨릭대학교 의과대학 직업환경의학교실) ;
  • 강모열 (가톨릭대학교 의과대학 직업환경의학교실) ;
  • 최상준 (가톨릭대학교 보건의료경영대학원)
  • Received : 2023.02.06
  • Accepted : 2023.05.10
  • Published : 2023.06.30
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Abstract

Objectives: This study was conducted to measure the level of radon in the air at a highway tunnel construction site in a gneiss area using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) and to evaluate exposure levels by occupation. Methods: Radon concentrations in the air were measured using E-PERM at points 300 m, 600 m, and 900 m from the tunnel entrance during the excavation and waterproofing work inside the tunnel. In addition, radon concentrations were measured during external excavation to compare with the inside of the tunnel. Personal exposure levels for major occupations including tunnel workers, construction equipment operators, waterproofers, shotcrete workers, and safety and health managers who participated in the construction were estimated using radon concentration measured in the work process area and working hours by occupation. Results: As a result of a total of 77 radon measurements, the geometric mean (GM) concentration was 71.1 Bq/m3, and the maximum concentration was 127.3 Bq/m3, which was below the indoor air quality criteria. Radon concentration by process decreased in the order of the tunnel excavation process (GM= Bq/m3, GSD=1.2), waterproofing process (GM=73.35 Bq/m3, GSD=1.2), and outside excavating process (GM=45.28 Bq/m3, GSD=1.2). Processes inside the tunnel were significantly higher than outside excavating processes (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in radon concentration measured inside by distance from the tunnel entrance, but the innermost point of the tunnel, 900 m (GM=79.24 Bq/m3, GSD=1.27), measured the highest. Conclusions: The occupation with the highest individual exposure to radon was tunnel worker (64.16 Bq/m3), followed by construction equipment driver (64.04 Bq/m3) and waterproofer (63.13 Bq/m3).

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