Radon levels in greenhouses: a case study in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

The Canary Islands are a volcanic territory within Spain. It is a group of islands where radon gas concentrations in enclosed areas must be considered for the health of workers, as it is an archipelago where high concentrations of this gas are expected to be found (due to the richness in uranium and radium of the rocks on the islands). In this study, radon gas levels have been measured inside 4 greenhouses in Tenerife (Canary Islands) as they are closed and poorly ventilated places in contact with the ground. The results show low levels of radon gas in the greenhouses analysed, specifically under 50 Bq/m(3) in all cases, which contrasts with the high values obtained in other underground facilities present in the Canary Islands. Therefore, the greenhouses assessed are not considered to have excessive levels of radon; since the value of radon gas concentration above which the World Health Organisation considers that health problems are generated is 100 Bq/m(3).