Radon Potential in Western Santa Clara County, California
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SPECIAL REPORT 244 RADON POTENTIAL IN WESTERN SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 2017 CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Department of Conservation STATE OF CALIFORNIA EDMUND G. BROWN JR. GOVERNOR THE NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION JOHN LAIRD DAVID BUNN SECRETARY FOR RESOURCES DIRECTOR CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY JOHN G. PARRISH, PH.D., STATE GEOLOGIST Copyright © 2017 by the California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the California Geological Survey. “The Department of Conservation makes no warranties as to the suitability of this product for any particular purpose.” SPECIAL REPORT 244 RADON POTENTIAL IN WESTERN SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA By Ronald K. Churchill, Ph.D. PG #4265 2017 CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY’S PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICES: Southern California Regional Office Library and Headquarters Office Bay Area Regional Office 320 W 4th Street, Suite #850 801 K Street, MS 14-31 1900 S. Norfolk Street, Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90013 Sacramento, CA 95814-3531 San Mateo, CA 94403 (213) 239-0878 (916) 327-1850 (650) 350-7301 Page Intentionally Blank TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose .................................................................................................................................. 1 Background Information About Radon and Health .................................................................. 1 Radon Potential Map Characteristics, Use and Limitations ..................................................... 4 Development of the Radon Potential Map for western Santa Clara County ............................ 4 Western Santa Clara County Geology Digital Layer ............................................................... 6 A Brief Note About Statistics ................................................................................................... 6 WESTERN SANTA CLARA COUNTY SHORT-TERM INDOOR-RADON SURVEY AND OTHER INDOOR-RADON DATA .......................................................................................... 7 Overview ................................................................................................................................ 7 Radon Survey Data—Exposure Duration and Data Quality ...................................................15 Follow-up Radon Testing Results ..........................................................................................15 WESTERN SANTA CLARA COUNTY GEOLOGIC UNIT RADON POTENTIALS ...................16 Indoor-Radon Data and Geologic Units .................................................................................16 Preliminary Geologic Unit Radon Potentials Based Upon Indoor-Radon Data .......................16 Surficial (alluvial) Geologic Units—Preliminary Radon Potentials ..........................................17 Bedrock Geologic Units—Preliminary Radon Potentials ........................................................23 Other Information Available for Geologic Unit Radon Potential Evaluation ............................24 RADON POTENTIAL ZONES ..................................................................................................25 Final Santa Clara County Geologic Unit Radon Potentials .....................................................25 Final Santa Clara County Radon Potential Zones ..................................................................25 RADON POTENTIAL ZONE STATISTICS ...............................................................................30 Indoor-Radon Data Characteristics ........................................................................................30 Indoor-Radon Data Frequency Distributions ..........................................................................30 Statistical Comparison of Indoor-Radon Data by Radon Potential Zone ................................30 Estimated Santa Clara County Population Exposed to 4.0 pCi/L or Higher Radon Concentrations in Indoor Air ..................................................................................................31 SANTA CLARA COUNTY RADON MAPPING PROJECT SUMMARY ....................................32 Procedures and Results ........................................................................................................32 RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................34 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .........................................................................................................34 REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................34 APPENDIX A Concurrent Indoor-Radon Test Data ..................................................................37 i APPENDIX B Charcoal Detector Field Blanks .........................................................................41 APPENDIX C Laboratory Spikes of Charcoal Detectors ..........................................................42 APPENDIX D Results of Follow-up Tests in Homes (tests on same floor) ...............................44 APPENDIX E Santa Clara County Geologic Units in the Radon Map Area and Radon Data ..........................................................................................................................45 APPENDIX F CDPH Indoor Radon Program Survey Data by Geologic Unit for Santa Clara County, California .................................................................................................................51 APPENDIX G Unknown Radon Potential Geologic Units in Santa Clara County With 2015-2016 CDPH Short-term Indoor-Radon Data .................................................................75 APPENDIX H Santa Clara County NURE Program Uranium Data and NRCS Soil Data ..........77 APPENDIX I Santa Clara County Radon Study Area eU Data .................................................89 APPENDIX J Descriptive Statistics and Statistical Comparison of Santa Clara County NURE Program Data, by 1X2 Degree Quadrangle ...............................................................96 APPENDIX K Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test Comparisons of Santa Clara Radon Map Area eU Data for the San Francisco, San Jose and Monterey 1X2 Degree Quadrangles .........................................................................................................................97 APPENDIX L Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test Comparisons of Santa Clara RadonMap Area eU Data by Preliminary Radon Potential Zone for the San Francisco, San Jose and Monterey 1X2 Degree Quadrangles ...............................................................................98 APPENDIX M Santa Clara County Geology Units, Soil Units and Indoor-Radon Survey Data .................................................................................................................................... 102 APPENDIX N Descriptive Statistics for Indoor-Radon Data (untransformed) by Santa Clara County Radon Potential Zone and Soils Without a Manuractured Layer Horizon (MLH) ..... 123 APPENDIX O Percentages of GE 4.0 pCi/L Radon Survey Data by Preliminary Radon Potential Zone and Presence or Absence of Soils with a Manufactured Layer Horizon (MLH) in Santa Clara County .............................................................................................. 124 APPENDIX P Descriptive Statistics for eU Data (untransformed) by Santa Clara County- San Francisco 1X2 Degree Quadrangle Radon Potential Zone and Soils With and Without a Manufactured Layer Horizon (MLH) .................................................................... 125 APPENDIX Q Percentages of GE 5.0 ppm NURE eU Survey Data by Preliminary RadonPotential Zone and Presence or Absence of Soils With a Manufactured Horizon (MLH) Within the San Francisco 1X2 Degree Quadrangle in Santa Clara County .............. 126 APPENDIX R Descriptive Statistics for NURE eU Data (untransformed) by Santa Clara County-San Jose 1X2 Degree Quadrangle Radon Potential Zone and Soils With and Without a Manuractured Layer Horizon (MLH) .................................................................... 127 APPENDIX S Percentages of GE 5.0 ppm NURE eU Data by Preliminary Radon Potential Zone and Presence or Absence of Soils With a Manufactured Layer Horizon (MLH) Within the San Jose 1X2 Degree Quadrangle in Santa Clara County ................................. 128 APPENDIX T Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test Comparisons of Santa Clara Radon Map Area Radon Survey Data and Manuractured Layer Horizon (MLH) Soil Areas.................... 129 ii APPENDIX U Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test Comparisons of Santa Clara Radon Map Area NURE eU Data and Areas With and Without Soils Having a Manufactured Layer Horizon (MLH) .................................................................................................................... 131 APPENDIX V Descriptive Statistics and Statistical Comparison of Indoor-Radon Data (untransformed) by Santa Clara County Radon Potential Zone .......................................... 134 APPENDIX W Descriptive Statistics and Statistical Comparison of Indoor-Radon Data (Ln- transformed) by Santa Clara County Radon Potential Zone................................................ 135 APPENDIX