Contaminación del aire por radón (222Rn) en residencias de los cantones de Riobamba, Colta y Guano

Abstract

ABSTRACT EXACTAMENTE COMO SE TRADUJO The aim of this work was to quantify indoor air contamination by radon (Rn 222) in a sample of 45 residences in the cantons of Riobamba, Colta and Guano, located in both urban and rural parishes. All homes were studied with the same monitoring and measurement protocol, using the E-PERM- SST passive detection system, with a measurement period of seven days. The results showed that more than 50% of the houses had radon concentrations between 30 and 50 Bq/m3 and only 18% had concentrations higher than 50 Bq/m3. The highest concentration (84 Bq/m3) was observed in a house in the parish of Sicalpa - Colta, a value lower than the reference level of 300 Bq/m3 established by the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) in Directive 2013/59. In addition, no relationship was observed between radon concentration and the construction materials of the walls and floor, so it is inferred that the variability of the results is due to the type of soil on which the dwelling is built. In terms of cantons, Colta had the highest average radon concentration (41 Bq/m3), followed by Riobamba (38 Bq/m3) and Guano (36 Bq/m3). To obtain satisfactory results, it is recommended not to touch the surface of the Electret with the hand or to place it on a surface without its cover, as this will cause the detector to lose its electrostatic charge and become unusable.