AW: Stockholm Royal Palace Radon levels

[Franz Schönhofer <franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT>]

Franz Schoenhofer

PhD, MR iR

Habicherg. 31/7

A-1160 Vienna

AUSTRIA

phone -43-0699-1168-1319

 

 

I read about radon in the royal palace in Stockholm this (European)

morning in „Aftonbladet“ ( <http://www.aftonbladet.se/>

www.aftonbladet.se, in Swedish) and the information from there is a

little, but significantly, different:

 

The highest value of 2.800 Bq/m3 has been found in a place, which is

used nowadays as a storage room and it is located six meters below the

surface. In the cellar of the palace high radon concentrations (no

values given!!!) have been discovered. Within three weeks a new

ventilationsystem will be finally installed in a museum situated in the

vaults of the cellar. Some years ago the cellars of the northern part of

the palace have been mitigated. The method chosen for the area now in

question will be to use “radon wells”, which has to be done very

carefully because of the cultural significance of the building.

 

The conclusions I draw: There are no rooms involved, where people live –

and only for them the value of 200 Bq/m3 is valid. The value is not

valid for a museum. For working and public places there are other

regulations, which take into consideration the time spent at the working

place. Finally remediation has been done or will be finished within the

next three weeks. 

 

Personally I am actually surprised about the low level of 2 800 Bq/m3

considering the geology of the subsoil in Gamla Stan in Stockholm.

 

Best regards,

 

Franz

 

 

 

 

 

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

Von: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu] Im Auftrag von Franta,

Jaroslav

Gesendet: Dienstag, 31. August 2004 15:47

An: Radsafe (E-mail)

Betreff: Stockholm Royal Palace Radon levels

 

NUCLEAR NEWS FLASHES - Monday, August 30, 2004 

INTERNATIONAL: 

--RADON LEVELS AS HIGH AS 2,800 BEQUERELS PER CUBIC METER HAVE been

measured 

at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. Maintenance officials are trying to

find a 

way to remove the radioactive gas without damaging the building, which

is a 

historical landmark. Normally, industrial ventilation equipment and fans



could be used, but, in addition to potential damage, work at the palace 

needs to be done as unobtrusively as possible. The discovery comes

shortly 

after the Swedish National Board for Health & Welfare cut the limit for 

acceptable indoor levels of radon from 400 bq/m3 to 200 bq/m3. Palace 

officials said they don't believe radon levels in the building are a

threat 

to those working there, because the highest concentrations are in a

limited 

area. Although the palace is the royal family's official residence, they



actually live in another palace outside of the city.