L.a. Sathish, K. Nagaraja, H.c. Ramanna, V. Nagesh, S. Sundareshan,
Volume 7, Issue 1 (6-2009)
Abstract
Background: Radon, thoron and their progenies
are the most important contributions to human
exposure from natural sources. Radon exists in soil
gas, building materials, Indoor atmosphere etc.
Among all the natural sources of radiation dose to
human beings, inhalation of radon contributes a lot.
The work presented here emphasizes the long term
measurements of radon, thoron and their progeny
concentrations in about 100 dwellings using solid
state nuclear track detectors. Materials and Methods:
Measurements were made using dosimeters and the
concentrations were estimated by knowing the track
density of films through spark counter, and sensitivity
factor for bare, filter and membrane films. Results:
Presence of radon and thoron in houses is the effect
of several aspects such as the activity concentrations
of uranium, radium and thorium in the local soil,
building materials, ventilation of houses and also
entry of radon into houses through the cracks in
floor/wall. Conclusion: The observations reveal that
the concentrations of radon and/or thoron are
relatively higher in granite than in concrete, cement
and bricks. In continuation to this the concentration
observed in bathrooms is more compared to kitchen,
bedroom and living rooms. This study discloses that
the residential rooms of good ventilation will avoid
the health hazards due to radon and its rich
materials. Iran. J. Radiat. Res., 2009 7 (1): 19