Radon Concentration Levels inside Community Pharmacies of Municipalities in Zone II of the Community of Madrid

Abstract

Radon is a gas that is ubiquitous in the Earth’s crust, and is particularly abundant in granitic terrains. It is an alpha emitter that emanates from the soil and can enter homes, accumulating within them and causing significant exposure to ionizing radiation for the residents. Breathing it indoors poses a significant health risk because it has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen. The WHO-recommended indoor radon level is 100 Bq/m³, whereas the reference value in Spain is 300 Bq/m³. In order to find out the concentrations of this gas, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 48 Community of Madrid pharmacies located in those municipalities that have been classified as being in Zone II, i.e., the area with the highest radon exposure risk, by the Spanish nuclear regulator (C.S.N.). The study took place from October 2021 through March 2022. 55 electrete detectors were used to measure the radon levels. The readings were taken by the Radon Measurement Lab of the Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (C.I.E.M.A.T.). The values corresponding to the epidemiological variables were collected by means of a survey. Radon levels below 300 Bq/m³ were found in 96.4 percent of the pharmacies; this value was only exceeded in two of them. A direct, statistically significant relationship between radon levels and sex and the age and construction material of the buildings was found. The population’s perception of the risk of exposure to this gas is very low (10,4%). Hence, community pharmacists, in their capacity as health professionals and in view of their excellent disposition (91,7%), could be good communicators of such risk to the population of their municipality so as to increase its knowledge of health matters.