Evaluation of Lung Doses from Radon and Thoron Exposure by Using LR-115 Detectors.

Abstract

The assessment of indoor radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn) concentrations has been conducted using dosimeters, the pinhole technique in Mainpuri city dwellings, Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) province of North India, for the assessment of health risks caused by their inhalation by the human population. The lung doses in the study area were also calculated using 222Rn and 220Rn, respectively. In Aunchha, the concentration of 222Rn varied from 5.76 to 86.57 Bq m-3, and the concentration of 220Rn varied from 5.27 to 129.13 Bq m-3. In Mainpuri, the concentration of 222Rn varied from 5.82 to 81.51 Bq m-3, and the concentration of 220Rn varied from 22.56 to 96.43 Bq m-3. The annual effective dose (AED) varied from 0.19 to 1.42 mSv y-1 and 0.47 to 1.32 mSv y-1 in the dwellings of the places mentioned earlier. The dose rates to the lung from exposure to 222Rn and 220Rn at various sites in the study area vary from 0.23 to 3.46 nGy h-1 and 0.23 to 3.26 nGy h-1, respectively. There is a strong correlation (R2 = 0.84) between 222Rn levels at the respective locations; this has been compared with studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The 222Rn concentrations are lower than the action level. As a result, the people living in this area are safe from health hazards due to 222Rn and 220Rn. Therefore, this study serves as a baseline for future research and, in Saudi Arabia, provides a reference for similar studies.