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Challenges in Comparing Radon Data Sets from the Same Swedish Houses: 1955–1990
Author(s) -
Hubbard Lynn Marie,
Swedjemark Gun Astri
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
indoor air
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.387
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1600-0668
pISSN - 0905-6947
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0668.1993.00021.x
Subject(s) - radon , environmental science , alum , oil shale , sampling (signal processing) , ventilation (architecture) , atmospheric sciences , environmental engineering , hydrology (agriculture) , meteorology , geography , waste management , engineering , geology , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , electrical engineering , organic chemistry , filter (signal processing) , quantum mechanics , physics
We compare data sets from two different Swedish studies which included measuremem of the indoor radon concentration both in 1955 and in 1990 in 178 of the same houses. The purpose is to learn more about how the indoor radon concentration changes over a time scale of years in the same houses. Many sources of both systematic and random errors exist when comparing these types of data sets. Specific types of errors are due to uncertainties in the calibration of the epuipment, the influence of the weather, the time lengths of sampling, airing of some of the dwellings, and changes in ventilation rates. The data indicate a general increase of the radon concentration in the dwellings between 1955 and 1990, with a 1990/1955 ratio of the averages of 1.3. The average radon concentration in all alum shale houses, (where the building material is a source of radon) in 1990 versus 1955 is 204 ± 22 and 163 ± 23 Bq/m 3 and in non‐alum shale houses is 62 ± 8 and 42 ± 7 Bq/m 3 , respectively.