Study of the effect of electromagnetic fields on indoor and outdoor radon concentrations

Abstract

In the present work, the effect of electromagnetic fields produced by high voltage power lines(132kV) and indoor equipments on the indoor and outdoor average radon concentrations in Al-Kazaliya and Hay Al-Adil regions in Baghdad city were studied using CR-39 track detectors and a gauss-meter.Results of measurements of the present study, have shown that the highest value for the indoor average radon concentration (76.56± 8.44 Bq / m3) was recorded for sample A1(Hay Al-Adel) at a distance of (20 m) from the high voltage power lines, while the lowest value for the indoor average radon concentration (30.46 ± 8.44 Bq / m3) was recorded for sample A3 (Hay Al-Adil) at a distance of (50 m) from the high voltage power lines. The indoor gaussmeter measurements were found to be ranged from (30.2 mG) to (38.5 mG). The higest value for outdoor average radon concentration and the highest gaussmeter measurements were found for sample (1), with values (92.63 ±11.2 Bq / m3) and (87.24 ± 2.85 mG), directly under the high voltage power lines respectively, while the lowest outdoor average radon concentration and the lowest gaussmeter measurements were found in sample (4),with values (34.19 ± 6.33 Bq / m3) and (1.16 ± 0.14 Bq / m3),), at a distance of (120 m) from the high voltage power lines respectively. The results of the present work have shown that there might be an influence of the electromagnetic field on radon concentrations in areas which were close to high voltage power lines and houses which have used many electric equipment for a long period of time.