Factors affecting the radiation dose to inhabitants in a small new housing estate in the netherlands

A survey has been made of the radiation exposure of inhabitants in a small new housing estate in theNetherlands, where 101 houses are built at about the same time, but according to nine differentdesigns. The objective of this study was to determine which dwelling characteristics affect the indoorradon concentrations and the absorbed dose in air. Both components were examined separately for aperiod of one year in the crawl space, the living room and a first-floor bedroom, using passive tracketchedand thermoluminescence detectors, respectively. The calculated effective dose to theinhabitants ranges from 0.5 to 1.3 mSv per year, depending on the design. The houses at the low endof this range are characterised by a timber frame construction with an air-tight concrete ground floor,with the remaining floors made of timber and with flue gas desulphurization gypsum inner walls.Designs constructed according to a corresponding conventional building method (concrete floors,cavity walls made of brick and sand-lime brick), show almost equal radon concentrations and doserates. The results indicate that the design has a more pronounced influence on the radiation burdenthan the habits and preferences of its occupants.