The influence of the cigarette smoke pollution and ventilation rate on alpha-activities per unit volume due to radon and its progeny

Abstract

Alpha and beta activities per unit volume air due to radon, thoron and their decay products were evaluated in the air of various cafe rooms polluted by cigarette smoke. Both CR-39 and LR-115 type II solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) were used. Equilibrium factors between radon and its progeny and thoron and its daughters have been evaluated in the air of the studied cafe rooms. The committed equivalent doses due to short-lived radon decay products were determined in different regions of the respiratory tract of non-smoker members of the public. The influence of cigarette smoke pollution, ventilation rate and exposure time on committed equivalent dose in the respiratory systems of non-smokers was investigated. Committed equivalent doses ranged from 1.15×10 −11–2.7×10 −7 Sv.y −1/h of exposure in the extrathoracic region and from 0.8×10 −12–1.7×10 −8 Sv.y −1/h of exposure in the thoracic region of the respiratory tract of non-smokers.