The study of activity median aerodynamic diameter using imaging plate technique for assessment of effective dose from radon and its decay products

Abstract

The indoor workplace environment was evaluated for exposure to radon and its decay products at two Universities in two metropolises of Japan. The mean radon concentrations in Nagoya University (NU) and Hokkaido University (HU) were 16.7 Bq m(-3) and 18.0 Bq m(-3), respectively. Activity median aerodynamic diameter (AMAD) of particles at NU ranged from 172 nm approximately 205 nm and at HU from 186 nm approximately 300 nm. Estimated effective doses for five usual sites of NU by ICRP approach was 0.15 mSvy(-1) approximately 0.76 mSvy(-1) and by UNSCEAR approach was 0.05 mSvy(-1) approximately 0.24 mSvy(-1). The effective dose for the same of HU by ICRP 66 approach was 0.16 mSvy(-1) approximately 0.79 mSvy(-1) and by UNSCEAR 2000 approach was 0.05 mSv y(-1) to 0.26 mSv y(-1). The two approaches differs on an average by a factor 2.3- approximately 4.7. The AMAD of obtained particle size distribution at NU has an average total deposition of 23% in human respiratory tract and 20% at HU.