Effective dose assessment due to inhalation of 222Rn, 220Rn, and their progeny: highlighting the major contribution of thoron in a thoron-prone area in Cameroon.

Abstract

To assess public exposure to radon, thoron, and their progeny, measurements were conducted in 50 dwellings within the bauxite-rich area of Fongo-Tongo in western Cameroon. Passive integrating radon-thoron discriminative detectors (specifically RADUET) were employed for radon and thoron measurements. Additionally, concentrations of short-lived radon and thoron progeny were estimated using Direct Radon Progeny Sensors (DRPSs) and Direct Thoron Progeny Sensors (DTPSs) based on LR-115 detectors. The findings revealed indoor radon concentrations ranging from 31 to 123 Bq m^-3 with a geometric mean (GM) of 62 Bq m^-3, and indoor thoron concentrations ranging from 36 to 688 Bq m^-3 with a GM of 242 Bq m^-3. The Equilibrium Equivalent Radon Concentration (EERC) ranged from 3 to 86 Bq m^-3 with a GM of 25 Bq m^-3, while the Equilibrium Equivalent Thoron Concentration (EETC) ranged from 1.2 to 12.5 Bq m^-3 with a GM of 7.6 Bq m^-3. Notably, all dwellings recorded radon concentrations below 100 Bq m^-3. Arithmetic means of radon and thoron equilibrium factors were calculated as 0.47 and 0.04, respectively. To assess annual effective doses from radon and thoron inhalation, equilibrium factors were used along with direct measurements of EERC and EETC. The differences observed in annual effective doses were 4.5% for radon and 42.5% for thoron. Furthermore, the contribution of thoron and its decay products to the annual effective dose from radon, thoron, and their progeny ranged from 12 to 94%, with an average contribution of 58%. Thus, this study found that the effective dose due to thoron inhalation in the study area exceeded that due to radon inhalation. It is concluded that, when evaluating radiation doses and health risks, it is crucial to consider both thoron and its progeny alongside radon and its progeny. This underscores the importance of considering direct measurements for accurately estimating radiation doses.