Control of the Health Risk of Radon Exposure in the Republic of Moldova

• Published in: Atmosphere Vol. 12; no. 10; p. 1302
• Main Authors: Coretchi, Liuba, Ene, Antoaneta, Ababii, Aurelia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-10-2021
• Subjects: Cancer; Cluster analysis; Detectors; Dwellings; Gases; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Legislation; Lung cancer; Nuclear energy; Population; Radiation; Radon; Radon content; Radon in indoor air; Radon levels; Republic of Moldova; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory disorders; risk assessment; Risk management; Rural areas; Rural housing; Sensors; Skin cancer; Smoking; Standard deviation; Surveying; Tobacco; Womens health; Europe; Moldova
• ISSN: 2073-4433; 2073-4433
• DOI: 10.3390/atmos12101302

The paper presents the results of a national radon survey conducted in the context of the Republic of Moldova. The study included about 2500 homes of different types, located in urban and rural localities in different areas of the country. The RADTRAK2 detectors kindly provided by the RADONOVA laboratory, Uppsala, Sweden, for the MOL9007 project funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been used. The exposure period was 90 days. The measured radon concentrations are the following: the average (±standard deviation) 252.8 ± 215.9 Bq/m3; the range (minimum–maximum) 10–1480 Bq/m3; the median 200 Bq/m3 and the geometric mean (± geometric standard deviation) 158.5 ± 3.0 Bq/m3. The results of the study allowed mapping indoor radon and identifying localities with increased radon concentrations. In order to reduce the high radon concentrations in places recording >300 Bq/m3, appropriate measures have been proposed according to the legislation in force. The cluster analysis showed positive links between the radon concentration in dwellings and the incidence of respiratory diseases, especially the bronchopulmonary cancer in the country.