Measurement of radon exhalation rate in various building materials and soil samples

Abstract

Indoor radon is considered as one of the potential dangerous radioactive elements. Common building materials and soil are the major source of this radon gas in the indoor environment. In the present study, the measurement of radon exhalation rate in the soil and building material samples of Una and Hamirpur districts of Himachal Pradesh has been done with solid state alpha track detectors, LR-115 type-II plastic track detectors. The radon exhalation rate for the soil samples varies from 39.1 to 91.2 mBq kg−1 h−1 with a mean value 59.7 mBq kg−1 h−1. Also the radium concentration of the studied area is found and it varies from 30.6 to 51.9 Bq kg−1 with a mean value 41.6 Bq kg−1. The exhalation rate for the building material samples varies from 40.72 (sandstone) to 81.40 mBq kg−1 h−1 (granite) with a mean value of 59.94 mBq kg−1 h−1.