Abstract
Abstract. This paper presents results of a reconnaissance study that used CR-39 alpha track-etch detectors to measure radon concentrations in dwellings in Hamadan, western Iran, significantly, built on permeable alluvial fan deposits. The indoor radon levels recorded varied from 4 (i.e. below the lower limit of detection for the method) to 364 Bq/m3 with a mean value of 108 Bq/m3 which is 2.5 times the average global population-weighted indoor radon concentration – these data augment the very few published studies on indoor radon levels in Iran. The maximum radon concentration in Hamadan occurs during the winter period (January to March) with lower concentrations during the autumn. The effective dose equivalent to the population in Hamadan is estimated from this study to be in the region of 2.7 mSv/y, which is above the guidelines for dose to a member of the public of 1 mSv/y suggested by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in 1993. This study supports other work in a number of countries that indicates such permeable "surficial" deposits as being of intermediate to high radon potential. In western Iran, the presence of hammered clay floors, the widespread presence of excavated qanats, the textural properties of surficial deposits and human behaviour intended to cope with winds are likely to be important factors influencing radon concentrations in older buildings.
Highlights
The presence of radon (222Rn) and its decay products in some dwellings in North America (Lubin et al, 1994) and Europe (Darby et al, 1998), together with an increased understanding of the carcinogenic effects of this gas on the human population, has prompted many countries to assess the extent to which they might have an indoor radon problem
The mean radon concentration in this study for Hamadan was 108 Bq/m3: the highest concentration of 364 Bq/m3 being observed in a ground floor bedroom with a simple mud floor, and the lowest observed in a ground floor bedroom which had a floor covered with a better engineered clay material
The mean radon concentration in Hamadan’s dwellings, noted in this reconnaissance study, is relatively high when compared with the average global population-weighted radon concentration of about 40 Bq/m3 indoors (Magalhaes et al, 2003)
Summary
The presence of radon (222Rn) and its decay products in some dwellings in North America (Lubin et al, 1994) and Europe (Darby et al, 1998), together with an increased understanding of the carcinogenic effects of this gas on the human population, has prompted many countries to assess the extent to which they might have an indoor radon problem. There is limited work published in the international scientific literature on indoor radon concentrations in Iranian homes and workplaces (one exception being Hadad et al, 2007), some data can be found in less readily available sources (Taghizadeh and Eftekharnejad, 1968; Sohrabi et al, 1993; Samavat, 2002). These though were focussed on High Level Background Radiation Areas (HLBRAs) in northern Iran. Strong winds can affect the region throughout much of the year, with north and north-west winds in the spring and winter periods which are often humid, persistent west-east winds in the autumn and local winds that develop due to air-pressure differences
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