First indoor radon mapping and assessment excess lifetime cancer risk in Iran

Radon (222Rn) is believed to be the main contributor to lung cancer second to smoking. The first national indoor radon map derived from some scattered regional radon surveys in Iran. The arithmetic mean of indoor radon concentration was calculated to 117.4 ± 97.7 Bq/m(3). The mean excess life time cancer risk (ELCR) values were found to be in the range of 0.1%–4.26%, with an overall average value of 1.01%. The mean radon-induced lung cancer risk was 46.8 per million persons. Absence of sufficient indoor radon data showed that national wide monitoring programs should be activated in uncovered areas. Meanwhile, in order to provide further baseline values for radon mapping, we attempted to survey the radon levels inside 50 dwellings of Shabestar County in northwest of Iran. The investigation was also focused on the effects of some buildings related variables. The radon levels recorded varied from 3.92 to 520.12 Bq/m(3), with a mean value of 56.19 ± 45.96 Bq/m(3). In 9% of dwellings radon concentration exceeded 100 Bq/m(3), the limit recommended by the World Health Organization. The average annual effective dose received by the residents of studied area was calculated to be 1.4 mSv. The ELCR was estimated to be 0.54%.