Indoor radon (222Rn) concentration measurements in Cyprus using high-sensitivity portable detectors

Using high-sensitivity radon (222Rn) portable detectors (passive electronic devices of the type RADIM3), the airborne 222Rn concentration in the interior of various Cypriot buildings and dwellings was measured. For each preselected building and dwelling, a calibrated detector was put into a closed room, and the 222Rn concentration was registered in sampling intervals of 2 to 4 h for a total counting time of typically 48 h. 222Rn activity concentrations were found to be in the range of 6.2 to 102.8 Bq m−3, with an overall arithmetic mean value of (19.3±14.7) Bq m−3. This value is by a factor of two below the world average (population-weighted) value of 39 Bq m−3. The total annual effective dose equivalent to the Cypriot population was calculated to be between 0.16 and 2.6 mSv with an overall arithmetic mean value of (0.49±0.37) mSv.