Radon measurements in public buildings in El Hierro, Canary Islands (Spain)

Abstract

After the underwater eruption that took place on the island of El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain) in 2012, there were significant increases in radon gas emissions in the soil. This study was aimed to measure the radon concentrations in public building in El Hierro in order to have better knowledge of the implications of a submarine eruption and the radon levels on the island. The study was undertaken in 38 public buildings located in the three municipalities of the island. Although high concentrations of radon gas were expected due to the recent eruptions, it was found that 70% of the facilities studied maintained radon gas concentration values below the limit values established by Directive 2013/59/EURATOM.