Radon Risk Mapping Using Uranium Series Geochemistry and Social Vulnerability in the North Carolina Coastal Plain

Author

Heather Christensen, William & MaryFollow

Date Thesis Awarded

4-2023

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Bachelors of Science (BS)

Department

Geology

Advisor

James Kaste

Committee Members

Rowan Lockwood

John Lombardini

Abstract

Radon (²²²Rn) is a colorless, odorless, inert radioactive gas that emits alpha radiation, making radon inhalation the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Based on previous low-resolution radon hazard maps, the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain is broadly generalized as low risk, yet indoor radon tests in the coastal plain of North Carolina show measurements as high as 54 pCi/L, approximately 18 times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s action level. Here I combine uranium-series radionuclide measurements from sediment cores with social vulnerability data to create higher resolution radon hazard maps. Using ultra low background high resolution gamma spectrometry, I measure ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, and ²¹⁰Pb in sediment cores within Nash and Edgecombe Counties in the North Carolina Coastal Plain.

Radon disproportionately affects socially vulnerable and historically excluded populations, and thus the effects of radon gas cannot be generalized across a county’s population. I overlay demographic data relating to the themes of socioeconomic status, household composition/disability, and race/ethnicity/language from the Center for Disease Control’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) with measured values of ²²⁶Ra in core sections. In addition to high indoor radon levels, my study area shows a high vulnerability with regards to these three SVI themes. My results indicate the presence of elevated ²²⁶Ra in sediment in Nash and Edgecombe counties, as well as the need for further mapping efforts in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain to direct radon mitigation, testing, and public health efforts.

Recommended Citation

Christensen, Heather, "Radon Risk Mapping Using Uranium Series Geochemistry and Social Vulnerability in the North Carolina Coastal Plain" (2023). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 2047.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/2047