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Radon Gas in the City of Alicante. High Risk of Low Indoor Air Quality in Poorly Ventilated Buildings

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  • Carlos Rizo-Maestre

    (Department of Building Construction, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig, s/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain)

  • Víctor Echarri-Iribarren

    (Department of Building Construction, University of Alicante, Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig, s/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain)

Abstract

In December 2019, Spain considered for the first time the presence of radon to the Technical Building Code (Basic Document HS 6: Radon Exposure Protection), although it only mentions minimum presences and the need for ventilation. This research shows that in buried structures or in places with little ventilation, even in soils with a low probability of granite, a high content of radon gas can be found. The city of Alicante has been used as a measurement location for different architectural sites; here, the level of 100 Bq/m 3 is the first threshold where the gas must be monitored, and the level of 300 Bq/m 3 is the maximum threshold above which corrective ventilation measures must be taken. The research conducted during the years 2015 and 2016 shows that it is necessary to account for also the areas considered to be “low presence of radon gas” to achieve healthy constructions. The renewal of air in the different places will be tested for the presence of radon, i.e., the greater the accumulation is, the less ventilation and the greater the risk of accumulation of radon gas. This study is located in the city of Alicante, where the seven civil constructions are located: two Civil War shelters, the Santa Barbara Castle, the Ereta Powder Keg, the Luceros-Marq and Serra Grossa railway tunnels and the Británica underground deposits. Radon gas is currently a concern for major health and medical agencies because it is considered to be a chemical element that is very harmful to people. The World Health Organization is one of the organisations that has the objective of studying and researching this element, to develop solutions. Radon gas is normally found in a gaseous state and is highly radioactive. It is present in many terrains and it is mostly found in those with granite; although the presence of this element is very low, there is always a minimum presence. In the past, in nongranite soils, the dose of radon was considered to be so low that it was insignificant. Therefore, in this research, the aim is to consider the high presence of radon gas in nongranite soils as long as the conditions for its accumulation are present.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Rizo-Maestre & Víctor Echarri-Iribarren, 2020. "Radon Gas in the City of Alicante. High Risk of Low Indoor Air Quality in Poorly Ventilated Buildings," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-25, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:23:p:8762-:d:451006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Carlos Rizo-Maestre & Víctor Echarri-Iribarren & Raúl Prado-Govea & Francisco Pujol-López, 2019. "Radon Gas as an Indicator for Air Quality Control in Buried Industrial Architecture: Rehabilitation of the Old Británica Warehouses in Alicante for a Tourist Site," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-16, August.
    2. Carlos Rizo Maestre & Víctor Echarri Iribarren, 2018. "The Radon Gas in Underground Buildings in Clay Soils. The Plaza Balmis Shelter as a Paradigm," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-14, May.
    3. Carlos Rizo Maestre & Victor Echarri Iribarren, 2019. "The Importance of Checking Indoor Air Quality in Underground Historic Buildings Intended for Tourist Use," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, January.
    4. Carlos Rizo-Maestre & Víctor Echarri-Iribarren & Antonio Galiano-Garrigós, 2019. "Ventilation as an Indispensable Tool for Healthy Constructions: Comparison of Alicante’s Urban Railway Tunnels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-20, November.
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