Evaluation of radiological hazards of radon in agricultural soil samples, Wadi Al-Hussini and Tuban, Lahj Governorate, Yemen

Abstract

The present study aims to assess 222Rn concentration and its radiological hazard for agricultural soil samples collected from Wadi Al-Hussini and Tuban as agricultural areas. Forty agricultural soil samples were collected from Lahj Governorate, Yemen. AlphaGUARD was used to measure radon concentration, and radon exhalation rates and annual effective dose in the agricultural soil samples were calculated. The average 222Rn activity concentration, area radon exhalation rate, mass radon exhalation rate and annual effective dose outdoor are as follows: 5170 ± 1740 Bq m−3, (12.4 ± 4.18)×10−4 Bq m−2s−1, (20.3 ± 6.82)×10−6 Bq kg−1s−1 and 49.13 mSv y−1 for Wadi Al-Hussini, 7263±2061 Bq m−3, (17.4±4.95) × 10−4 Bq m−2s−1, (28.5±8.08)×10−6 Bq kg−1s−1 and 69.03 mSv y−1 for Wadi Tuban. The average value of 222Rn concentration in agricultural soil gas in Wadi Al-Hussini and Tuban is much higher than the value of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which the recommended reference 100 Bq m−3.