• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.174-183
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• 2017

The background level and timely variation characteristics of atmospheric $^{222}Rn$ concentrations have been evaluated by the real time monitoring at Gosan site of Jeju Island, Korea, during 2008~2015. The average concentration of atmospheric radon was $2,480mBq\;m^{-3}$ for the study period. The cyclic seasonality of radon was characterized such as winter maximum and summer minimum, consistent with the reduction in terrestrial fetch going to summer. On monthly variations of radon, the mean concentration in October was the highest as $3,041mBq\;m^{-3}$, almost twice as that in July ($1,481mBq\;m^{-3}$). The diurnal radon concentrations increased throughout the nighttime approaching to the maximum ($2,819mBq\;m^{-3}$) at around 7 a.m., and then gradually decreased throughout the daytime by the minimum ($2,069mBq\;m^{-3}$) at around 3 p.m. The diurnal radon cycle in winter showed comparatively small amplitude due to little variability in atmospheric mixing depth, conversely, large amplitude was observed in summer due to relatively a big change in atmospheric mixing depth. The cluster back-trajectories of air masses showed that the high radon events occurred by the predominant continental fetch over through Asia continent, and the radon concentrations from China continent were about 1.9 times higher on the whole than those from the North Pacific Ocean. The concentrations of $PM_{10}$ also increased in proportion to the high radon concentrations, showing a good linear correlation between $PM_{10}$ and radon concentrations.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.2927-2934
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• 2023

The influence of the atmospheric radon background on the airborne gamma spectrum can seriously affect researchers' judgement of ground radiation information. However, due to load and endurance, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-borne gamma-ray spectrometry is difficulty installing upward-looking detectors to monitor atmospheric radon background. In this paper, an advanced spectral-ratio method was used to correct the atmospheric radon background for a UAV-borne gamma-ray spectrometry in Inner Mongolia, China. By correcting atmospheric radon background, the ratio of the average count rate of U window in the anomalous radon zone (S5) to that in other survey zone decreased from 1.91 to 1.03, and the average uranium content in S5 decreased from 4.65 mg/kg to 3.37 mg/kg. The results show that the advanced spectral-ratio method efficiently eliminated the influence of the atmospheric radon background on the UAV-borne gamma-ray spectrometry to accurately obtain ground radiation information in uranium exploration. It can also be used for uranium tailings monitoring, and environmental radiation background surveys.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.271-277
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• 1993

Indoor radon has been known as one of the notorious carcinogens. However, a safe environmental criterion of radon has not yet been established in Korea, The main objectives of this study were to study concentration distributions of radon, to trace radon sources in subways, and to obtain a strategy for radon reduction in Seoul metropolitan area. Radon concentrations had been extensively determined by several steps. The first step was to survey radon levels in all of 83 subway stations from October to November in 1991. The second step was to select 40 out of 83 stations and then to study seasonal variations in 1991 and 1992. The third step was to monitor radon levels by hourly-basis plans. The fourth step was to seek a radon reduction strategy by altering ventilation at Ankuk station where had the highest radon concentration during the first measurement step. Each underground floor in the station was divided into 10 sites to measure hourly radon variations. The final step of the study was to measure radon concentrations in groundwater that is one of the possible main sources radon place. The result of the various measuring approaches showed short-and long-term radon variation and indicated radon reduction schemes.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.283-292
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• 2007

Atmospheric concentrations of radon had been continuously observed in Seoul, Korea since December 1999, as a tracer for long-range transport of air pollutants from China continent to Korea. In order to study radon as a tracer of long-range transport, it is important to know information about the atmospheric distribution and variation of radon concentration and its time variation. Atmospheric radon concentration are measured with electrostatic radon monitor(ERM) at Hanyang University located in Eastern area of Seoul. Air sample is taken into a vessel of ERM, and alpha particles emitted by radon daughters $Po^{218}$ are detected with ZnS(Ag) scintillation counter. Hourly mean concentrations and hourly alpha counts are recorded automatically. The major results obtained from time series observation of atmospheric radon were as follows : (1) The mean of airborne radon concentration in Seoul was found to be $7.62{\pm}4.11\;Bq/m^3$ during December $1999{\sim}January$ 2002. (2) The hourly variation of radon concentrations showed the highest in 8:00AM ($8.66{\pm}4.22\;Bq/m^3$) and the lowest in 3:00AM ($6.62{\pm}3.70\;Bq/m^3$) and 5:00AM ($6.62{\pm}3.39\;Bq/m^3$). (3) the seasonal variation of radon concentrations showed higher during winter-to-fall and lower during summer-to-spring. (4) Correlation between airborne radon concentration and the meteorological factors were -0.21 for temperature, 0.09 for humidity, -0.20 for wind speed, and 0.04 for pressure. (5) The mean difference of airborne radon concentration between Asian dust ($5.36{\pm}1.28\;Bq/m^3$) and non-Asian dust ($4.95{\pm}1.49\;Bq/m^3$) phenomenon was significant (p=0.08). We could identify time series distribution of radon concentration related meteorological factors. In addition, radon can be considered a good natural tracer of vertical dispersion and long-range transport.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.241-249
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• 2001

A report by the National Research Council in the United States suggested that many lung cancer deaths each year are associated with breathing radon in indoor air. Most of the indoor radon comes directly from soil beneath the basement of foundation. Recently, radon released from groundwater is found to contribute to the total inhalation risk from indoor air. This study presents the assessment of a exposure to radon released from the groundwater into indoor air. At first, a 3-compartment model is describe the transfer and distribution if radon released from groundwater in a house through showering, washing clothes, and flushing toilets. The model is used to estimate a daily human exposure through inhalation of such radon for adults based on two sets of exposure scenarios, Finally, a sensitivity analysis is used to identify important parameters. The results obtained from the study would help to increase the understanding of risk assessment issues associated with the indoor radon released from groundwater.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.17 no.E2
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• pp.43-51
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• 2001

A report by the national research council in the United States suggested that many lung cancer deaths each year be associated with breathing radon in indoor air. Most of the indoor radon comes directly from soil beneath the basement of foundations. Recently, radon released from groundwater is found to contribute to the total inhalation risk from indoor air. This study presents the quantitative assessment of human exposures to radon released from the groundwater into indoor air. At first, a three-compartment model is developed to describe the transfer and distribution of radon released from groundwater in a house through showering, washing clothes, and flushing toilets. Then, to estimate a daily human exposure through inhalation of such radon for an adult. a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic(PBPK) model is developed. The use of a PBPK model for the inhaled radon could provide useful information regarding the distribution of radon among the organs of the human body. Indoor exposure patterns as input to the PBPK model are a more realistic situation associated with indoor radon pollution generated from a three-compartment model describing volatilization of radon from domestic water into household air. Combining the two models for inhaled radon in indoor air can be used to estimate a quantitative human exposure through the inhalation of indoor radon for adults based on two sets of exposure scenarios. The results obtained from the present study would help increase the quantitative understanding of risk assessment issues associated with the indoor radon released from groundwater.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.327-334
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• 2002

The work presents sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of 2-compartment model for the evaluation of indoor radon pollution in a house. Effort on the development of such model is directed towards the prediction of the generation and transfer of radon in indoor air released from groundwater. The model is used to estimate a quantitative daily human exposure through inhalation of such radon based on exposure scenarios. However, prediction from the model has uncertainty propagated from uncertainties in model parameters. In order to assess how model predictions are affected by the uncertainties of model inputs, the study performs a quantitative uncertainty analysis in conjunction with the developed model. An importance analysis is performed to rank input parameters with respect to their contribution to model prediction based on the uncertainty analysis. The results obtained from this study would be used to the evaluation of human risk by inhalation associated with the indoor pollution by radon released from groundwater.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.86-96
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• 2013

The realtime monitoring of radon ($^{222}Rn$) concentrations has been carried out from Gosan site, Jeju Island for three years of 2006~2008, in order to evaluate the background level and timely variational characteristics of atmospheric radon. The mean concentration of radon measured during the studying period was $2965mBq/m^3$ with its annual mean values in the range of $2768{\sim}3124mBq/m^3$. The relative ordering of the seasonal mean concentrations was seemed to vary such as winter ($3578mBq/m^3$) > fall ($3351mBq/m^3$) > spring ($2832mBq/m^3$) > summer ($2073mBq/m^3$). The monthly mean concentrations were in the order of Jan>Feb>Oct>Nov>Dec>Mar> Sep>Apr>May>Jun>Aug>Jul, so that the highest January value ($3713mBq/m^3$) exceeded almost twice as the July minimum ($1946mBq/m^3$). The hourly concentrations in a day showed the highest level ($3356mBq/m^3$) at around 7 a.m., increasing during nighttime, while reaching the lowest ($2574mBq/m^3$) at around 3 p.m. From the backward trajectory analysis for a continental fetch of radon, the high concentrations (10%) of radon matched with the air mass moving from the Asia continent to Jeju area. In contrast, the low concentrations (10%) of radon were generally correlated with the air mass of the North Pacific Ocean. In comparison by sectional inflow pathways of air mass, the radon concentrations were relatively high from the north China and the Korean peninsula.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.1149-1153
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• 2014

Real-time monitoring of hourly atmospheric radon (Rn-222) concentration was performed throughout 2011 at Gosan station, Jeju Island, one of the least polluted regions in Korea, in order to characterize the background levels, and temporal variations on diurnal to seasonal time-scales. The annual mean radon concentration for 2011 was $2527{\pm}1356$ mBq $m^{-3}$, and the seasonal cycle was characterized by a broad winter maximum, and narrow summer minimum. Mean monthly radon concentrations, in descending order of magnitude, were Oct > Sep > Feb > Nov > Jan > Dec > Mar > Aug > Apr > Jun > May > Jul. The maximum monthly mean value (3595 mBq $m^{-3}$, October), exceeded the minimum value (1243 mBq $m^{-3}$, July), by almost a factor of three. Diurnal composite hourly concentrations increased throughout the night to reach their maximum (2956 mBq $m^{-3}$) at around 7 a.m., after which they decreased to their minimum value (2259 mBq $m^{-3}$) at around 3 p.m. Back trajectory analyses indicated that the highest radon events typically exhibited long-term continental fetch over Asia before arriving at Jeju. In contrast, low radon events were generally correlated with air mass fetch over the North Pacific Ocean. Radon concentrations typical of predominantly continental, and predominantly oceanic fetch, differed by a factor of 3.8.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.37-50
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• 2019

It is possible that radon removal in groundwater of small-scale water supply system (SWSS) is caused by atmospheric storage and aeration facilities installed in the water tank. Radon removal rates at water tank and tap of the 32 SWSS during summer season ranged from -69.3% to 62.7% (average 25.7%) and from -64.3% to 83.1% (average 30.3%) while those of 16 SWSS during autumn season ranged from 21.3% to 78.0% (average 42.8%) and from 17.7% to 66.9% (average 44.8%). The reason of higher radon removal rate in the autumn season compared with the summer season is due to higher atmospheric storage effect by lower groundwater use rate. The radon removal rates at the water tank from 12 SWSS were 47.4~94.0% (average 78.9%), in which the removal rates at the atmospheric storage are also included. Atmospheric storage and aeration can be used to reduce radon concentration in SWSS groundwater. For more efficient use of radon reduction, further studies are necessary to assess the radon removal rate considering variation conditions of radon concentration in groundwater, size and forms of water tank, change in groundwater usage rate, aeration capacity and ventilation facilities.