Mean annual 222Rn concentration in homes located in different geological regions of Poland – first approach to whole country area

The paper presents the results of year-long measurements of radon (222Rn) concentration inside 129 buildings in Poland in relation to the geological conditions of their foundation. The authors took into account the division of the country into tectonic units, as well as the lithology of the rocks forming the bedrock of these buildings. As expected, the highest value of mean annual 222Rn concentration (845 Bq/m3) was recorded in a building situated in the area of the Sudetes, while the highest geometric mean (characteristic of the expected log-normal data distribution) was calculated based on measurements from buildings located within the East-European craton, in the area of Mazury-Podlasie monocline, where it reached 231 Bq/m3. Such results reflect geological conditions – the occurrence of crystalline rocks (especially U- and Ra-enriched granites and orthogneisses) on the surface in the Sudetes, and of young post-glacial sediments containing fragments of Scandinavian crystalline rocks, also enriched with U and Ra, in the area of Mazury-Podlasie monocline. However, the least expected result of the investigations was finding out that, contrary to the hitherto widespread belief, none of the major tectonic units of Poland can be excluded from the list of those containing buildings with mean annual 222Rn concentration exceeding 200 Bq/m3. The mean annual concentration of radon for all the buildings were much higher than the mean concentration value (49.1 Bq/m3) of indoor radon in Poland quoted so far. These results cast a completely new light on the necessity to perform measurements of radon concentration in residential buildings in Poland, no more with reference to small areas with outcrops of crystalline rocks (especially the Sudetes, being the Polish fragment of the European Variscan belt), but for all the major tectonic units within Poland.

► 222Rn concentration in 129 buildings in Poland is presented.
► Radon concentration in homes in relation to the geological conditions of their foundations is analysed.
► The Sudetes with crystalline rocks enriched with U and Ra lying on the surface as well as the Mazury-Podlasie monocline with glacial and fluvioglacial deposits containing Scandinavian crystalline rocks are characterized by the highest 222Rn concentration et homes.
► There is no “radon-safe” tectonic units in Poland and mean annual radon concentration obtained (133 Bq/m3) is much higher than previous results.
► Buildings with mean annual 222Rn concentration higher than 200 Bq/m3 may be present in the area of West-European platform, East-European craton as well as Carpathians orogen, in all tectonic units of Poland.