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Radon Pollution Control

  • Chapter
Advanced Air and Noise Pollution Control

Part of the book series: Handbook of Environmental Engineering ((HEE,volume 2))

Abstract

Human beings are exposed to two sources of radiation in the environment: natural and man-made. Natural sources include radioactive radon, radioisotopes with a long half-life, such as potassium in the body, cosmic rays (energetic γ-rays and particles from the sun and interstellar space), and some rocks. Various sources of artificial radiation include medical X-rays, nuclear medicine for cancer treatment, and some consumer products containing radioisotopes. Natural sources of radiation account for 82% of total exposure for humans. A common radioactive element is radium, one of whose decay products, radon, poses health concerns. Radon emanates from rock, soil, and underground water as a gas. In the solar system, various radioisotopes of radon gas form from decay of radioactive uranium and thorium elements found naturally. The contributing effects from natural and man-made radiation sources on human beings is shown in Fig. 1.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey

    Ali Gökmen PhD & İnci G. Gökmen PhD

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH

    Yung-Tse Hung PhD, PE, DEE

Authors
  1. Ali Gökmen PhD
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  2. İnci G. Gökmen PhD
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  3. Yung-Tse Hung PhD, PE, DEE
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Zorex Corporation, Newtonville, NY

    Lawrence K. Wang PhD, PE, DEE

  2. Lenox Institute of Water Technology, Lenox, MA

    Lawrence K. Wang PhD, PE, DEE

  3. Krofta Engineering Corp., Lenox, MA

    Lawrence K. Wang PhD, PE, DEE

  4. Monsanto Corporation, St. Louis, MO

    Norman C. Pereira PhD

  5. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH

    Yung-Tse Hung PhD, PE, DEE

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© 2005 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Gökmen, A., Gökmen, İ.G., Hung, YT. (2005). Radon Pollution Control. In: Wang, L.K., Pereira, N.C., Hung, YT. (eds) Advanced Air and Noise Pollution Control. Handbook of Environmental Engineering, vol 2. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-779-6_9

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