Indoor radon levels in schools and residential dwellings in Kuwait

Abstract

Indoor radon level measurement survey has been performed in different schools in commercial districts zone 1 and neighboring industrial area zone 2 in the State of Kuwait. Passive samplers of CR-39 based on track-etch technique and radon dosimeters were used in this study. The dosimeters were installed in different locations in the selected schools in two distinct zones and some in residential dwellings in two waves. About total of 150 carefully selected sites were used for radon and its daughters exposure for 6-month duration. The highest levels were 266 ± 21 Bq m−3 in secret control room in Al-Dasma Middle School for Girls in first wave and 404 ± 21 Bq m−3 in the second wave in the class room at Al-Mansouriya Elementary School for Girls. The lowest radon levels were 7 ± 1 Bq m−3 in class room at Al-Mansouriya Elementary School for Girls in first wave and 9 ± 1 Bq m−3 in the second wave in the class room at Al-Ahmadiyah Elementary School for Boys. The high radon concentrations were noticed in the basements of the residential dwellings at Fahaheel approached 595 ± 30 Bq m−3, and recorded minimum value was 13 ± 1 Bq m−3 at the Ada’an residential area. Radon measurement was accomplished in two phases from December 22, 2010, to April 3, 2011, and October 6, 2011, to March 14, 2012, in schools and residential dwellings in Kuwait. Annual effective dosages for the occupants have been calculated based on the measurement values of radon for different sites, and the respective estimated excess lifetime cancer risk was evaluated.