Human exposure to radon decay products inside dwellings in the United Kingdom

Substantial surveys are being carried out by the NRPB to improve the estimate of indoor exposure nationally and to discover regional variations. These surveys require radiation levels to be measured in dwellings and information to be analysed on the patterns of behaviour of the occupants. Early results suggest that the present estimate of the national average dose is not seriously wrong. There are strong indications, however, that the average dose in some areas may be an order of magnitude higher with individual values two orders of magnitude higher than the national average. These high results are obtained in and around localities of igneous geology, where uranium concentrations in the ground are also high. Potential consequences of the irradiation, such as lung cancer, are discussed, together with possible limitation schemes for the U.K. and requisite studies. (U.K.)