Harpa Data — Concentration of radon 222 activities within buildings

Radon (Rn222) is a natural radioactive gas produced by the decay of radio 226, in turn generated by the decay of uranium 238.Being the radio and uranium present, to varying degrees, in rocks, soils and derived building materials, the emanation of radon takes place in a widespread way throughout the territory, but very different depending on the local geo-litological characteristics.In free air, the radon disperses into the atmosphere and never reaches high concentrations, while in closed environments the gas tends to accumulate, to an extent depending on the potential for the release of the ground, the insulation of the building and its services in relation to the ground and subsoil, the floor of the room relative to the ground and the modes of ventilation and exchange of air.Radon concentrations in air are expressed as the number of radioactive decays of radon cores 222 per second per m³ of ambient air, and measured in Becquerel/m³, where 1 Becquerel (Bq) indicates 1 radioactive decay (in this case Rn 222) per second.The levels of radon concentration in the dwellings affected by the measurements are reported on a thematic map using circles with diameter proportional to the average concentrations detected.