Re: Ron Kathrens comment on indoor radon concentrations

[Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

To those interested, especially to Jim Muckerheide and Bernard Cohen:

I mentioned explicitely that I do not want to comment the original topic, I
commented only the question of radon variation with environmental factors. 

The environmental factors exist and they might influence heavily the so
called "yearly average" - whatever this should be. Using myself in the
Austrian Radon Project short term measurements with activated charcoal and
liquid scintillation spectrometry I am well aware of the pitfalls of
deriving the "yearly average" from both short and long term measurements. I
mentioned that there might be orders of magnitude difference between radon
concentrations under different conditions. Average radon concentrations are
the basis for calculated radon doses and if errors (for instance by
extrapolating short or long term measurements to the whole year) occur in
determining the average radon concentrations, then the dose will be wrong as
well. This may occur, maybe it may not. I read quite a few brilliant papers
dealing with the question of representativity of short term measurements -
one by Bernie Cohen. 

My comment was not at all a negative comment to Bernie Cohens contribution.
I have no reason to do it, since I admire his style and his way of
argumentation. Nevertheless it must be legitimate to discuss factors which
might influence results.

Franz
Schoenhofer
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