Abstract:
Decades of radiation monitoring data were analyzed to estimate outdoor Radon Dose Rates (RnDRs) and evaluate climate change impacts in Canada\'s Arctic Regions (Resolute and Yellowknife). This study shows that the RnDR involves dynamic sources and complex environmental factors and processes. Its seasonality and long-term trends are significantly impacted by temperatures and soil-and-above water contents. From 2005 to 2022, Yellowknife\'s RnDR increased by +0.35 ± 0.06 nGy/h per decade, with the fastest increases occurring in cold months (October to March). The rise is largely attributable to water condition changes over time in these months, which also caused enhanced soil gas emissions and likely higher indoor radon concentrations. In Resolute, the RnDR increased between 2013 and 2022 at +0.62 ± 0.19 nGy/h (or 16% relatively) per decade in summer months, with a positive temperature relationship of +0.12 nGy/h per °C. This work also demonstrates the relevance of local climate and terrain features (e.g., typical active layer depth, precipitation amount/pattern, and ground vegetation cover) in researching climate change implications. Such research can also benefit from using supporting monitoring data, which prove effective and scientifically significant. From the perspective of external exposure to outdoor radon, the observed climate change effects pose a low health risk.
摘要:
分析了数十年的辐射监测数据,以估算室外氡剂量率(RnDR)并评估加拿大北极地区(Resolute和Yellowknife)的气候变化影响。这项研究表明,RnDR涉及动态来源和复杂的环境因素和过程。其季节性和长期趋势受到温度和土壤及以上含水量的显着影响。从2005年到2022年,耶洛奈夫的RnDR每十年增加0.35±0.06nGy/h,增长最快的是寒冷月份(10月至3月)。上升主要归因于这几个月中水状况随时间的变化,这也导致土壤气体排放增加,室内氡浓度可能更高。坚决,2013年至2022年期间,RnDR在夏季月份每十年增加0.62±0.19nGy/h(或相对16%),正温度关系为+0.12nGy/h/°C。这项工作还证明了当地气候和地形特征的相关性(例如,典型的活动层深度,降水量/模式,和地面植被覆盖)研究气候变化的影响。这样的研究也可以受益于使用支持性的监测数据,证明是有效和科学意义的。从室外氡的外部暴露角度来看,观察到的气候变化影响带来的健康风险较低。