A Geologically Based Indoor‐Radon Potential Map of Kentucky
| Autor: | Amanda T. Wiggins, Mary Kay Rayens, Douglas C. Curl, William C. Haneberg, Kathy Rademacher, Stephen F. Greb, William M. Andrews, Ellen J. Hahn |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
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Informatics geologic map Epidemiology Health Toxicology and Mutagenesis Geochemistry chemistry.chemical_element Radon Management Monitoring Policy and Law Devonian Web Services Siltstone Waste Management and Disposal Research Articles Water Science and Technology Dolostone Global and Planetary Change geography geography.geographical_feature_category scientific communication Bedrock Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Geospatial Geohealth radon Geologic map Impacts of Climate Change: Human Health Pollution lung cancer GIS science chemistry Clastic rock Public Health Geology Research Article |
| Zdroj: | GeoHealth |
| ISSN: | 2471-1403 |
| Popis: | We combined 71,930 short‐term (median duration 4 days) home radon test results with 1:24,000‐scale bedrock geologic map coverage of Kentucky to produce a statewide geologically based indoor‐radon potential map. The test results were positively skewed with a mean of 266 Bq/m3, median of 122 Bq/m3, and 75th percentile of 289 Bq/m3. We identified 106 formations with ≥10 test results. Analysis of results from 20 predominantly monolithologic formations showed indoor‐radon concentrations to be positively skewed on a formation‐by‐formation basis, with a proportional relationship between sample means and standard deviations. Limestone (median 170 Bq/m3) and dolostone (median 130 Bq/m3) tended to have higher indoor‐radon concentrations than siltstones and sandstones (median 67 Bq/m3) or unlithified surficial deposits (median 63 Bq/m3). Individual shales had median values ranging from 67 to 189 Bq/m3; the median value for all shale values was 85 Bq/m3. Percentages of values falling above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action level of 148 Bq/m3 were sandstone and siltstone: 24%, unlithified clastic: 21%, dolostone: 46%, limestone: 55%, and shale: 34%. Mississippian limestones, Ordovician limestones, and Devonian black shales had the highest indoor‐radon potential values in Kentucky. Indoor‐radon test mean values for the selected formations were also weakly, but statistically significantly, correlated with mean aeroradiometric uranium concentrations. To produce a map useful to nonspecialists, we classified each of the 106 formations into five radon‐geologic classes on the basis of their 75th percentile radon concentrations. The statewide map is freely available through an interactive internet map service. Key Points Bedrock geologic units in Kentucky have lithologically controlled indoor‐radon potentialCarbonate sedimentary rocks generally have higher indoor‐radon potential than nonshale clastic sediments and sedimentary rocksWe used geologic map coverage and radon test results to produce an interactive statewide indoor‐radon potential map for nonspecialists |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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