**6. Study on natural radioactivity by measuring the radon concentration inside the church**

Exposure to radon in homes and workplaces is now recognized as the most important natural factor in causing lung cancer [27–31]. The international organizations that aim at protecting the public and the environment from exposure to radiation (UNSCEAR, WHO, IAEA, IRPA, and ICRP) are recently paying an increased interest to radon exposure and radiation protection measures [31, 32]. Based on Articles 35-36 of the Euratom Treaty, the most important objective of EU Member States is to monitor and report the radioactivity of the environment [33]. On the basis of international regulations, the problem of radon was assumed in Romania through the national legislation (HG nr. 526/2018, art.23) clearly stating

operated particle measuring device (Trotec GmbH, Germany) was used to record important climate data such as the relative humidity and the air temperature. The measurements were performed every day between 19 and 19.30 p.m. The 12 points on the outside and inside the church were set at the ground level (**Figure 12**). The recorded data allowed the observation of relevant variations in the values of rH,

*Drawing plan of the wooden church with markings of the 12 indoor and outdoor sampling points.*

The highest average values (80.30, 80.90, and 80.30%) were recorded in sampling points 10, 11, and 12, behind the door of the church. This may explain the state of advanced degradation, the painting being almost completely obliterated, more so

It is well known that the most important and difficult conservation method is the constant maintenance of the indoor climate of the heritage building by attaining the most favorable temperature and humidity conditions. Taking into account the construction characteristics of the church and research data, it is mandatory to undertake fast solutions in order to stop the advancement of the degradation.

The outdoor climatic changes increase the preservation issues inside the wooden

church, causing a constant indoor microclimate fluctuation, making the task of keeping the mural painting in optimal conditions in the long term a very difficult one. Under these conditions, a recommendation would be to install a portable air

between the outer and the inner points of the wood surface.

*Weather conditions in the area at the time of study (September–October 2019).*

**Figure 11.**

*Heritage*

**Figure 12.**

**212**

than in other areas inside the church (**Figures 13** and **14**).

that radon concentration is to be determined, irrespective of the priority area, in buildings with public access [34].

well within the limits allowed by both the European Union, WHO, and by the Romania law regarding the exposure of the population in public spaces [37–39].

*A Survey of Physical Parameters and Natural Radioactivity in the Wooden Church…*

In the short-term analysis, the results of 30 days of continuous monitoring showed that environmental climate changes can have an influence on the interior

Future work should focus on the implementation of long-term measurements, deepening these techniques as well as performing chemical and biological analyzes

Taking into account these aspects, a short-term recommendation would be to install a portable air dehumidifier with a setting function allowing the relative

This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Minister of Research and Innovation, CCCDI–UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0476/

None of the authors have any competing interests in the manuscript.

, Alexandra Cucoş

1 Applied Environmental Research Centre, Faculty of Environmental Science and

2 Faculty of Orthodox Theology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

3 Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Ovidius University, Constanța,

© 2020 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

1

, Bety Burghele<sup>1</sup>

,

**7. Conclusion**

conservation status of the studied church.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92063*

humidity of the air to be brought in between 50 and 60%.

51-PCCDI/2018, within PNCDI III, ACRONIM: ARHEOCONS.

\*, Marin Cotețiu<sup>2</sup>

Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

\*Address all correspondence to: ancuta.radutenter@gmail.com

Kinga Szacsvai<sup>1</sup> and Verginica Schroder<sup>3</sup>

provided the original work is properly cited.

at the mural painting level.

**Acknowledgements**

**Conflict of interest**

**Author details**

Ancuţa Ţenter<sup>1</sup>

Romania

**215**

The church under discussion is included in the Historical Monuments List, under the code LMI: MM-II-m-A-04569, and this inclusion was approved by the Directorate of Historical Monuments from the Department of Worship, no. 14301-1514 from the 5th of September 1967. The site is a public access building, visited by tourists and religious followers. In the summer of 2019, a group of 50 pilgrims led by a monk, attended the Holy Mass at the church on the hill. In the last few years, the church has been visited by a high number of visitors attracted by this part of country, rich in tradition and culture. Under these circumstances, we considered it necessary to evaluate the natural radioactivity, by radon measurements, of the "Archangels Mihail and Gavril" wooden church.

Active radon measurements carried out during the two separates campaigns yielded indoor radon activity concentrations ranging from 29 to 364 Bq m<sup>3</sup> . During the first campaign, one of the windows could not be closed properly; this allowed a high air exchange rate that led to the dilution of indoor radon to an average value of 46 Bq m<sup>3</sup> . By the time the second campaign took place, the faulty window was restored. The average value of 166 Bq m<sup>3</sup> was recorded during the second monitoring campaign. The indoor radon time series for the two seasons [35] monitored were represented in **Figures 7** and **10**.

At the time of the second campaign, passive radon detectors were installed along the active monitoring system. Indoor passive radon measurements were performed by using CR-39 track detectors exposed for 1 month, in all three rooms of the wooden church (**Figure 15**), according to the NRPB Measurement Protocol [36].

Following the laboratory analyzes performed at the Constantin Cosma Radon Laboratory of Babeș-Bolyai University, an average concentration of 107 Bq m<sup>3</sup> was obtained for the monitored period. Taking into consideration the seasonal correction factors implemented through national regulations, the annual indoor radon activity concentration for the investigated public building was calculated to be 140 Bq m<sup>3</sup> ,

**Figure 15.** *CR-39 detector.*

*A Survey of Physical Parameters and Natural Radioactivity in the Wooden Church… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92063*

well within the limits allowed by both the European Union, WHO, and by the Romania law regarding the exposure of the population in public spaces [37–39].
