High Indoor Radon Concentration Observed in Yomitan-son,Okinawa Prefecture, Southwestern Part of Japan

Masahide Furukawa; Yasutaka Omori; Nagi Masuda; Yuki Tamakuma; Takahito Suzuki; Mika Obata; Reina Shingaki; Syunya Nakasone; Akinobu Ishimine; Kaori Nakamura; Yoshitaka Shiroma; Masahiro Hosoda; Naofumi Akata; Shinji Tokonami

doi:10.51083/radiatenvironmed.11.1_16

Note

High Indoor Radon Concentration Observed in Yomitan-son,Okinawa Prefecture, Southwestern Part of Japan

Masahide Furukawa, Yasutaka Omori, Nagi Masuda, Yuki Tamakuma, Takahito Suzuki, Mika Obata, Reina Shingaki, Syunya Nakasone, Akinobu Ishimine, Kaori Nakamura, Yoshitaka Shiroma, Masahiro Hosoda, Naofumi Akata, Shinji Tokonami

Author information

Masahide Furukawa
University of the Ryukyus, 903-0213 Okinawa, Japan
Yasutaka Omori
Fukushima Medical University, 960-1295 Fukushima, Japan
Nagi Masuda
University of the Ryukyus, 903-0213 Okinawa, Japan
Yuki Tamakuma
Hirosaki University, 036-8560 Aomori, Japan
Takahito Suzuki
Hirosaki University, 036-8560 Aomori, Japan
Mika Obata
University of the Ryukyus, 903-0213 Okinawa, Japan
Reina Shingaki
University of the Ryukyus, 903-0213 Okinawa, Japan
Syunya Nakasone
University of the Ryukyus, 903-0213 Okinawa, Japan
Akinobu Ishimine
University of the Ryukyus, 903-0213 Okinawa, Japan
Kaori Nakamura
University of the Ryukyus, 903-0213 Okinawa, Japan
Yoshitaka Shiroma
University of the Ryukyus, 903-0213 Okinawa, Japan
Masahiro Hosoda
Hirosaki University, 036-8560 Aomori, Japan
Naofumi Akata
Hirosaki University, 036-8560 Aomori, Japan
Shinji Tokonami
Hirosaki University, 036-8560 Aomori, Japan

Keywords: indoor radon, gamma radiation, ²³⁸U series, Yomitan village, Okinawa prefecture, Japan

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2022 Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 16-20

DOI https://njjn-jsjc-gov-cn-s-1416.res.gxlib.org.cn:443/rwt/1416/https/MSYXTLUQPJUB/10.51083/radiatenvironmed.11.1_16

Details

Abstract

In Yomitan-son, a village of Okinawa prefecture located in the subtropical region of Japan, the highest annual average of indoor radon (²²²Rn) concentration, 220 Bq m^-3, has been observed in a private residence by a nationwide survey. In this study, to estimate the distribution and origin of the high concentration, measurements for atmospheric radon were conducted on eight dwellings intermittently from 2005 to 2013. And in situ measurements of gamma radiation energy spectrum on the outdoor ground were performed at 26 points in 2018 to estimate the origin of the high indoor radon concentration. As the result, the highest indoor radon concentration, 289 Bq m^-3, was observed in a dwelling. For the seasonal variation, indoor radon concentration in winter is obviously higher than that in summer was observed in several dwellings. From the results for the analyses of gamma radiation data, useful information about the origin of the high indoor radon concentration was not provided in this study.

Corresponding author

Register with J-STAGE for free!