Volume 15, No 2, 2018
Assessment Of Effective Dose Due To Radon Exposure In Multi Storied Dwellings Of Rajasthan, India
A. Rawat
Abstract
Our natural environment contains a large number of radioactive substances. Large populations have lived already over many generations in regions where the exposure is higher compared to the average value without any visible disadvantages. High concentrations of natural radionuclides in building materials can result in high dose rates indoors, from both internal and external exposure. Radon is present in trace amounts almost everywhere on the earth, being distributed in the soil, the ground water and in the lower atmosphere. Therefore, indoor radon is a matter of health concern all over the world. Amongst the terrestrial sources of radiation, radon and its progeny are most important towards average annual dose. Inhalation dose imparted by the radon and its short-lived progeny is of potential health concern especially in the regions were concentration of radon is high or possibility of accumulation of radon and its progeny is high. Levels of radon and their progeny are studied in four cities situated in Rajasthan states of India using SSNTDs. For the ground floor minimum and maximum values of inhalation dose estimates were 0.49 to 1.34 mSv Y-1 and for the first floor the values were found to vary from 0.43 to 1.21 mSv Y-1, respectively. Indoor radon estimates show no alarmingly high level of radon concentration in the dwellings. First floor has lower radon concentrations as compared with the ground floor. Annual effective dose estimates in the four locations were also found to be in the order of world average.
Pages: 202-208
Keywords: SSNTDs, Indoor Radon, Inhalation dose, Twin cup dosimeters.