# Verification of correction factors for determining mean annual levels of radon in underground facilities

## TL;DR

This study verifies correction factors for estimating annual radon levels in underground facilities using historical data from seven sites in Poland.

## Contribution

The paper provides verified correction factors for radon level estimation in underground facilities based on real-world measurement data.

## Key findings

- Monthly correction factors showed 70–99% consistency with measured radon levels in caves.
- Quarterly correction factors best fit annual estimates when applied to data collected in the second quarter of the year.
- Radon estimation accuracy varied significantly in the fourth quarter, suggesting data from this period should not be used.

## Abstract

The first verification of a tool developed to improve the work of controlling bodies, managers and employees of underground facilities subject to radiation protection requirements was conducted. The recommended values of correction factors were verified using archival results of measurements conducted for the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź in seven underground workplaces in Poland over exposure periods of a month (10,8678 data) and a quarter of a year (53,688 data). In a cave two groups of monthly factors, produced estimates with almost 70% to 99% consistency with the measured values. Along tourist routes located in mines, a similar fit was obtained using three groups of correction factors for measurement results from March, June and July. In the extraction areas of active underground mines, the best fit was produced by factors calculated as averages for spaces varying in the degree of insulation and ventilation method, while in other departments of mining plants, by correction factors recommended for facilities equipped with mechanical ventilation systems. All the quarterly correction factors produced the best fit between estimated mean annual concentrations and measurement results obtained in the second quarter of the calendar year. A wide variation in result consistency (from 20–30 to 65–80%) obtained for two underground tourist routes in the fourth quarter of the year demonstrates that it is best not to adopt results from this measurement period (October-December) for estimating mean annual radon concentration using the set of quarterly correction factors.