Indoor Radon Monitoring in Building Types of a Periurban Area in Cape Coast Metropolis, Southern Ghana

Abstract

Radon is a source of ionizing radiation that shows a carcinogenic potential. Thus, tracking radon exposure levels in the environment and managing exposure conditions is necessary for reducing the hazards such as lung cancer, which is known to be the second largest impact of radon on humans worldwide. A LR-115 Type II strippable detector for monitoring radon radiation was installed in 30 mud and 26 block houses in the periurban (Duakor) areas in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Central Region, for 3 months to determine the exposure levels. The results showed that block houses (n = 26) had a radon ionization concentration in a range of 125–356 Bq m⁻³ and mean of 221 ± 61.4 Bq m⁻³, which was significantly higher than that of mud houses (n = 30), which ranged from 50.8 to 349 Bq m⁻³, with a mean of 186 ± 13.3 Bq m⁻³. About 80% and 10% of both types of houses showed levels that were above WHO’s lower (100 Bq m⁻³) and upper (300 Bq m⁻³) limits of the annual residential guidelines. Moreover, over 70% of both building types showed annual effective doses of indoor radon levels that were within the action levels (3–10 mSv year⁻¹). The data shows that the occupants have lived in their apartments for more than 10 years, while only about 3.0% have ever received some education on radon. Additional steps to manage indoor radon exposure in the community to avoid lung cancer are necessary.