Short-term variations of indoor and outdoor radon concentrations in a typical semi-arid city of Northwest China

To obtain basic data for adverse effects of radon (Rn) on human health, indoor and outdoor Rn concentrations were measured using a RAD7 Rn detector from Oct 2015 to Jun 2016 in Xi'an, China. The effects of air quality and ventilation conditions on the short-term variation of Rn concentrations were evaluated in detail. The results show that the outdoor Rn concentrations increased with the increase in degree of air pollution, and the indoor Rn concentrations decreased with the increase in ventilation rate under different airflow patterns. Some effective measures are proposed to reduce the effect of Rn exposure. (author)