Assessment of Seasonal Radon Concentration in Dwellings in Erzurum Province of Türkiye

The increasing awareness concerning radon (222Rn) health hazards on organic structures obligates researchers to investigate the sources and impacts within the environment. Indoor radon measurements were carried out in dwellings in Erzurum province during the winter months of February 2012 to early April 2012 and the summer months of July 2012 to early September 2012. A nuclear track detector LR-115 was used for the measurements. According to the results of investigations, it was understood that the indoor radon concentration averages in dwellings are in the range of 11 ± 6 Bq m3 - 380 ± 91 Bq/m3 in the winter season and 8 ± 3 Bq/m3 - 356 ± 64 Bq/m3 in the summer season. We found that the 222Rn effective dose values in the studied dwellings in the winter season range from 0.278 to 9.59 mSv/y. Also, the 222Rn effective dose values in the studied dwellings in the summer season range from 0.202 to 8.98 mSv/y. These values are within the ICRP recommended values. The radon activity has not been found to vary with seasonal changes, but also with the age, the construction mode of houses, the ventilation conditions and with specific sites and geological materials.