Indoor radon concentrations in kindergartens in three Bulgarian districts.

Abstract

This article examines the results of a study of radon concentrations in kindergartens in three districts of north-western Bulgaria. For the period from December 2019 to May 2020, passive radon measurements were accomplished in 1490 premises of 130 kindergartens. The highest arithmetic mean (AM) value of 219 Bq m^-3 and geometric mean (GM) value of 156 Bq m^-3 radon concentration were found in the state kindergartens of the Vratsa district. The radon values for the remaining two districts are as follows: Lovech-AM = 156 Bq m^-3 and GM = 114 Bq m^-3; Montana-AM = 125 Bq m^-3 and GM = 88 Bq m^-3. The effects of various factors on the radon concentration including district, year of building construction, presence of basement, place of premise, wall, and floor interior covering materials, and presence of a ventilation system were investigated. Factor Analysis was used to assess the combined effects of those factors on indoor radon concentration. The results revealed three combinations of the investigated factors: the first combined the district in which the kindergartens were located and the materials used for the floor of the premises, the second combined the year of construction of the building and the presence of a building foundation, and the third combined the rest of the investigated factors. It is concluded that a regional assessment of predictors of radon variability is needed. The walls in kindergartens should not be covered by gypsum, and floors should not be made from materials that can easily develop cracks such as terra cotta. The installation of a ventilation system reduces the radon concentrations in the premises, which is of particular importance in cases where the measured value is above the national reference levels.