Abstract
Concentrations of radon have been estimated in agricultural soil in Cameron Highlands in Pahang, Malaysia. CR-39 plastic track detectors are used to measure concentration of radon rate in the soil samples. Results reveal that the mean radon concentrations in agricultural soil collected from Cameron Highlands are 198.44 ± 59.44 Bq m-3. These concentrations are below than the action levels of 200 - 600 Bq m-3 as recommended by ICRP. According to the results, the areas of study are safe and do not pose health risks to the population in those areas, and thus the soil can be used for construction materials.
Highlights
Radon measurements are crucial in monitoring human health and safety
Exposure to radon and its daughters contributes to more than 50% of the total radiation dose received from natural sources by human beings (UNSCEAR, 2000).222Rn is produced by the alpha decay of 226Ra
The main objective of this study is to assess the levels of radon in the soil samples collected from Cameron Highlands region of Pahang, as well as the results are compared with the allowable levels worldwide
Summary
Radon measurements are crucial in monitoring human health and safety. Exposure to radon and its daughters contributes to more than 50% of the total radiation dose received from natural sources by human beings (UNSCEAR, 2000).222Rn is produced by the alpha decay of 226Ra. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in most types of soil the concentrations vary widely (NCRP, 1984) It typically moves up from the ground to the air. Radon and its decay products in the air form the main natural sources of irradiation in human. It is responsible for many cancer deaths among uranium miners [UNSCEAR, 2000, Adams, 1991] In this concern, studies on soil have been carried out in different parts of the world, and much data is available in the literature (Rafique et al, 2011; Saad et al, 2013; Al-Nafiey et al, 2014). The main objective of this study is to assess the levels of radon in the soil samples collected from Cameron Highlands region of Pahang, as well as the results are compared with the allowable levels worldwide
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