Indoor Radon Levels in Four Different Areas in Korea

우리나라 일부 주택내 라돈 농도에 관한 조사 연구

Indoor radon concentrations were measured using Track-Etch detectors in four (Seoul., Songtan, Dogo, Kunsan) different geological areas in Korea during December 1988 - April 1989. Measurements involving 75 hdmes were made in different rooms of each home. The mean concentrations of indoor radon in the homes by area varied from 2.70 - 3.22 pCi/l. Indoor radon concentrations in rural areas were higher than the corresponding levels in urban areas. The mean radon concentrations in the basements were about 1.3 times higher than those levels measured in the first floor. The mean radon concentrations in the kitchen and bedroom were and 2.86 pCi/l 2.43 pCi/l, respectively, while the living room radon concentrations were 2.61 pCi/l. Energy-efficient homes have a living room level that is on the average 1.4 times higher than normally insulated conventional homes. Approximately 13% of the study homes exceeded 4 pCi/l of radon levels of the U.S. EPA's recommended limit. From these results, radon levels in the homes seemed to correlate strongly with house location relative to geologic formation.