Radon measurements in water galleries in Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain)

Water galleries are one of the main systems for capturing groundwater on the western islands of the Canary Islands (Spain). Water galleries are approximately 2-m high × 2-m wide excavated, sub-horizontal drains. This research focuses on taking measurements of radon, a natural radioactive gas present in volcanic territories, such as the Canary Islands, which may cause health problems for workers inside water galleries. The aim of the research is to evaluate radon gas activity as a natural risk in a selected group of water galleries of Tenerife by means of officially approved radon passive detector devices. It was observed that in all the galleries studied, the radon gas concentration values were exceeded by a wide margin, which makes it a factor to be monitored in gallery workers, due to the proven association between radon inhalation and lung cancer.