Abstract
Ionizing radiation has been proved a major stress that can induce carcinogenesis. Among these ionizing radiations the most significant one is radon which is a source of 43% of the annual dose averaged over the population of the world. If it is present in enhanced level beyond maximum permissible limit, it may cause lung cancer. In the present work a set of indoor radon measurements has been carried out in some houses of Debresina district, Ethiopia using cellulose nitrate LR-115 type-II plastic track detectors in the bare mode. The detectors were fixed in the houses for one month to be exposed with indoor radon from February to March 2018. Etching of detectors was done with 2.5 N NaOH solution for 75 minutes at 60°C in the Soil physics laboratory and counting of tracks recorded was done using optical microscope in the Department of Earth Science, Bahirdar University. It is found that the value of radon concentration in those dwellings ranges from 12.24 to 251.94 Bq/m<sup>3</sup> with an average of 102.87 Bq/m<sup>3</sup> and standard deviation of 81.97 Bq/m<sup>3</sup>. The annual effective dose rates are found to vary from 0.31 to 6.29 mSv y<sup>-1</sup> with an average of 2.57 mSv y<sup>-1</sup> and a standard deviation of 2.05 mSv y<sup>-1</sup>. The indoor radon concentration has been found to have strong correlation with the ventilation condition. Ventilated houses have shown less radon concentration than unventilated houses. Though most of the indoor radon concentration values measured are well within the recommended action level of ICRP, more than half of these values are above the new recommended level of WHO.
Highlights
Ionizing radiation is the term used to describe the transfer of energy through space or through a material medium in the form of electromagnetic waves or subatomic particles that are capable of causing ionization in matter, that is, capable of changing neutral atoms into charged atoms, called ions, by removing, or sometimes adding, electrons [1]
The results of indoor radon concentration measured in 11 houses in Debresina district are reported in the Table 1
Appropriate remedial actions should be taken on those houses to reduce indoor radon concentrations
Summary
Ionizing radiation is the term used to describe the transfer of energy through space or through a material medium in the form of electromagnetic waves or subatomic particles that are capable of causing ionization in matter, that is, capable of changing neutral atoms into charged atoms, called ions, by removing, or sometimes adding, electrons [1]. Radon is naturally occurring radioactive gas formed during spontaneous disintegration of atoms belonging to the three radioactive decay series: the Uranium Series - parent U-238, the Thorium Series - parent Th-232 and the Actinium Series - parent Ac-227 [3]. Odorless, tasteless, and an invisible gas with a density of 9.72 grams per liter. It is about seven times as dense as air [4]. Tap-water and the domestic gas supply are usually radon sources of minor importance, with a few exceptions. In most situations it appears that elevated indoor radon level originates from radon in the underlying rocks and soils [5]
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