Measurement of indoor radon concentration and assessment of doses in different districts of Northern Rajasthan, India (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Low Radiation, 2011
The study of the indoor radon concentration in district Mardan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan is presented. To know the impact of the dose for Mardan city, 40 CR-39 detectors were installed in different houses for a period of three months. The radon concentration for this phase of the year (early summer) is from 18.45 ± 0.53 to 41.51 ± 3.4 Bq/m 3. The level of indoor radon concentration is the highest in the basements i.e. 41.51 ± 3.4 Bq/m 3 which is within acceptable limit (148 Bq/m 3), recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency. The annual effective dose calculated from this study is E Rn = 0.704 mSv. It was concluded that indoor radon concentration may not suppose any severe threat to the health of residents.
Radiation Measurements, 2003
The LR-115 type-II plastic track detector has been used for measuring the indoor radon levels in the dwellings of some villages of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. In Punjab, the villages surveyed are Rampura Phul, Lehra Mahabat and Pitho (villages in Bathinda district), and Amritsar city. The average indoor radon levels in these areas are found to vary from 64 to 152 Bq=m 3 , which are quite within the safe limits recommended by International Commission on Radiological Protection (Ann. ICRP 23(2)). The indoor radon levels have also been measured in the dwellings of Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. The villages surveyed in this area are Nukhel, Badarn, Galore-Khas, Har-Upper, Tikker Brahamana and Awah-Lower where radon concentration has been found to vary from 261 to 724 Bq=m 3. These values are higher than the recommended limit.
Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 2012
Indoor radon measurements in 60 dwellings belonging to 12 villages of Sirsa, Fatehbad and Hisar districts of western Haryana, India, have been carried out, using LR-115 type II cellulose nitrate films in the bare mode. The annual average indoor radon value in the studied area varies from 76.00 to 115.46 Bq m À 3 , which is well within the recommended action level 200-300 Bq m À 3 (ICRP, 2009). The winter/summer ratio of indoor radon ranges from 0.78 to 2.99 with an average of 1.52. The values of annual average dose received by the residents and Life time fatality risk assessment due to variation of indoor radon concentration in dwellings of studied area suggests that there is no significance threat to the human beings due to the presence of natural radon in the dwellings.
Radioprotection, 2016
In the present study, indoor radon equilibrium equivalent concentration monitoring was carried out using Solid-State Nuclear Track Detectors in some residential areas of the Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India. The average value of the indoor radon equilibrium equivalent concentration in the study area was found to be 94 Bq m −3 , with an annual effective dose of 1.61 mSv. The average value of the indoor radon equilibrium equivalent concentration in the studied areas was found to be higher than the world average indoor radon value of 40 Bq m −3 but lower than the value of the action level 300 Bq m −3 , except for two locations.
Variations of radon and thoron concentrations in different types of dwellings in Mysore city, India
Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 2009
Rn and 220 Rn, the immediate decay products of radium isotopes, are causative agents of lung cancer. 222 Rn and 220 Rn concentrations in houses with different floorings, roofs and walls and in different rooms of houses have been measured in Mysore city, Karnataka state, India, using solid-state nuclear track detectors. The radon and thoron concentrations in dwellings with granite floorings are found to be higher compared with other types. A correlation between the indoor radon concentration and dose in air from terrestrial gamma radiation is observed.
Radiation Measurements, 2003
Having studied the radon/thoron and their concentration levels in the urban Hyderabad (known for higher concentrations of uranium, thorium and 40 K compared to other metropolitan cities of India), an attempt has been made to measure radon and its progeny levels in its surrounding areas covering the region beyond municipal limits, with an approximate radius of 50 km, using the technique of solid-state nuclear track detectors. The concentration levels of radon and its progeny varied from 3 to 47 Bq=m 3 and 0.04 to 3:5 mWL with arithmetic mean of 11 Bq=m 3 and 0:9 mWL, respectively. These airborne radioactivity levels in the surrounding areas of Hyderabad are found to be less than the activity levels of urban Hyderabad region. Seasonal variations of these activity levels have also been studied. Further, variation of radon and its progeny levels in di erent types of dwellings were investigated and it is found that the dwellings with bare ooring and mud walls were found to have higher concentration levels. Distribution of dwellings for di erent radon levels was carried out to unravel the e ect of poor ventilation, type of the construction materials used, etc.
Seasonal variation of indoor radon in dwellings of Malwa region, Punjab
Atmospheric Environment, 2005
Indoor radon measurements in 105 dwellings belonging to 21 villages of Muktsar and Ferozepur districts of Malwa region, Punjab, have been carried out, using LR-115 type II cellulose nitrate films in the bare mode. The annual average indoor radon value in the study area varies from 76.25 to 145.50 Bq m−3, which is well within the recommended action level [ICRP, 1993. Protection against radon at home and work. Annals of ICRP, ICRP Publication, p. 65]. Seasonal variation of indoor radon shows high values in winter and low values in summer. The winter/summer ratio of radon concentration has been computed for all 105 dwellings. The winter/summer ratio of indoor radon ranges from 0.84 to 1.89 with an average of 1.46. The indoor radon values obtained in the present investigation are more than the world average of 40 Bq m−3
Indoor and Built Environment, 2012
In continuation to our earlier studies concerning generation of the baseline indoor radon data, an indoor radon measurement survey was carried out in the districts Bagh and Kahuta, state of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In this context, 150 houses were selected in the aforesaid districts and CN-85-based box-type radon detectors installed in bedroom and living room of each house. The detectors were exposed to indoor radon for 3 months. After etching CN-85 detectors in 6 M NaOH at 708C for 3 h, the observed track densities were related to the indoor radon concentration using calibration factor of 0.0092 tracks cm À2 Áh À1 per BqÁm À3 . The measured indoor radon concentration ranged from 56 to 124 BqÁm À3 and 61 to 106 BqÁm À3 in the studied areas of districts Bagh and Kahuta, respectively. The mean annual effec-tive dose ranged from 1.42 AE 0.15 to 3.12 AE 0.10 mSvÁy À1 with an average of 2.16 AE 0.13 mSvÁy À1 in the district Bagh and 1.54 AE 0.14 to 2.68 AE 0.12 mSvÁy À1 with an average of 2.17 AE 0.13 mSvÁy À1 in the district Kahuta. These values are within the safe limits recommended by the World Heath Organization.
Journal of Radiation Research, 2009
Seasonal indoor radon measurement studies have been carried out in four districts, namely, Jhelum, Chakwal, Rawalpindi and Attock of the Punjab Province. In this regard, CR-39 based detectors were installed in bedrooms, drawing rooms and kitchens of 40 randomly selected houses in each district. After exposing to radon in each season, CR-39 detectors were etched in 6M NaOH at 80°C and counted under an optical microscope. Indoor radon activity concentrations in the houses surveyed ranged from 15 ± 4 to 176 ± 7 Bq m -3 with an overall average value of 55 ± 31 Bq m -3 . The observed annual average values are greater than the world average of 40 Bq m -3 . Maximum indoor radon concentration levels were observed in winter season whereas minimum levels were observed in summer season. None of the measured radon concentration value exceeded the action level of 200-400 Bq m -3 . The season/annual ratios for different type of dwellings varied from 0.87 ± 0.93 to 1.14 ± 1.10. The mean annual estimated effective dose received by the residents of the studied area was found to be 1.39 ± 0.78 mSv. The annual estimated effective dose is less than the recommended action level (3-10 mSv).