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Answer to Question #5460 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"Category: Radon The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: Q
I am a 16-year-old male. I have found facts that people
receive about half their yearly exposure of radiation from radon. The
average person receives 1.3 pCi/L per year. My house was tested and is
at 3.8 pCi/L. I should have about 48 mSv of background radiation
assuming the average is 1.3 pCi/L. How much background radiation do you
think I have received in 16 years? Am I in danger with this associated
with quite a bit of medical x rays?
A
You have posed a very interesting question with many nuances. First, it
is very unlikely that you are in any imminent or long-term danger from
your exposure to radon. The US Environmental Protection Agency has
established 4 pCi/L as the acceptable limit for radon in homes. The
concentration you report for your home is close to but still below this
generally accepted safe limit.
The determination of how much background radiation exposure you have received in 16 years is a function of many factors and cannot be readily determined just from the measured concentration in your home, which may or may not be representative of the radon concentration throughout your home. (Radon levels are typically highest in the basement and lower on the second and higher floors). The first question to ask is how much time you spend in your home. If you spend 12 hours per day in your home and the other 12 hours per day elsewhere where the radon levels are much lower, your total dose would be much lower than if you spent 24 hours of each and every day in your home. And, what about those medical x rays? Yes, they would add to the total, but we need to know what kind and how many in order to estimate their contribution to your total dose. Other factors contribute to your background radiation dose as well. But once again, it is quite unlikely that you are in any imminent or long-term danger from exposure to radon. You may wish to refer to previous questions in our Ask the Experts feature on radon for additional information. Ron Kathren, CHP
Answer posted on 11 May 2006. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.
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