Radon and Thoron Concentrations in the Air of Three Schools in East Baghdad

Abstract

Radon is continuously emitted from natural elements, especially because of the decomposition of U-238 and Thorium-232. Radon is ordered as a second cause of lung cancer. In this paper, the absorptions of radon and thoron were stately in schools east of Baghdad, namely Abtal Al-Taf, Batalat Karbala, and In Kaldoon Schools. The concentrations of the gases are measured using the SSNTD method (solid-state nuclear track detector method). Radon gas concentrations were different and ranged from 33.8 to 63.7 Bq/m 3 , and a thoron from 48.8 to 127.1 Bq/m 3 , which are within the permissible limits stipulated in the international organization ICRP. The mean annual dose of radon and thoron gases obtained by those in the schools under study was 3.4±0.9 mSv.y -1 and the maximum value of the annual dose was 4.7 mSv.y -1 in the room of the Batalat Karbala school, while the last value was 2.6 mSv.y -1 in the garden of Ibn Kaldoon School.