Indoor radon concentration measurements at the site of the first nuclear power plant in Egypt

Abstract

Radon (222 Rn) is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally when uranium in soil and rock breaks down. Long-term exposure to 222 Rn increases the risk of lung cancer. The principal objective of this work was to determine the 222 Rn activity concentration in an indoor air environment at the El-Dabaa site proposed for a nuclear power plant project in Egypt using the track etch technique with LR115 detectors. The annual average indoor 222 Rn activity concentration in apartment buildings varies from 24 to 77 Bq.m-3 , with a mean value of 54 Bq.m-3 . The annual effective dose received by residents of the studied area was estimated to be 0.41 mSv. The annual estimated effective dose is less than the recommended action level by ICRP (3−10 mSv.y-1 ). The results from this work provide a radiological assessment program and update the background of the natural radioactivity map at the El-Dabaa site.