Inhalation Of Radon Research Articles

Annual Effective Dose Due to Ingestion and Inhalation of Radon in Tap-Water from Some Preparatory Schools, Samawa City, Iraq

Radon and its radioactive progenies in the indoor environment have been identified as the main sources of public radiation dose. The presence of radon in drinking tap water and other household uses can increase the indoor radon level and cause radiation-related health hazards, both through inhalation and ingestion. The present research measures radon concentrations in 140 tap water samples collected from 14 preparatory schools in Samawa City (with an average of 10 samples for each school) using the active electronic radon detector RAD7. The results show that radon concentrations varied from (0.11 ± 0.6 Bq/L) to (1.986 ± 1.59 Bq/L) with a mean concentration of (0.605± 0.6475 Bq/L). The annual effective dose due to ingestion and inhalation was calculated. Also, the minimum and maximum mean values of the total annual effective are calculated and found to be (0.263 μSv/yr) and (2.325 μSv/yr), respectively. The measured values of radon gas activity concentrations and annual effective dose in all samples are lower than that of the safe limit prescribed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (11 Bq/L), 4 to 40 Bq/L suggested by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, and World health organization (100 Bq/L for radon concentration and 100 μSv/yr for annual dose), indicating no significant radiological hazards for the inhabitants in the study area.

C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 contributes to radon exposure-induced lung injury by recruiting dendritic cells to activate effector T helper cells.

C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 contributes to radon exposure-induced lung injury by recruiting dendritic cells to activate effector T helper cells.

Integrated environmental and health assessment from hydrogeochemistry and radiogeology parameters of hydrothermal spring attractions in Southern Thailand.

The present study aimed to investigate the hydrogeochemical patterns and contamination of the radiogeology, especially radon activity, related to geothermal aquifer properties and to perform a risk assessment of annual effective doses covering all hydrothermal spring attractions in Southern Thailand. Radon is an established lung carcinogen; especially longer term exposure to radioactive radon through inhalation could be a cause of lung cancer risk. Altogether 22 hydrothermal spring samples were collected from the six hydrothermal provinces in Southern Thailand in early November of 2023. Geochemical data represented by calcium chloride and sodium chloride type, most of which were influenced by seawater intrusion. In addition, the hydrothermal springs that located along local fault zones were mainly controlled by water‒rock interactions, indicating that hydrothermal spring quality was influenced by weathering. Hydrothermal springs located along the coastlines of the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea were dominated by evaporation. Radon activity concentrations show value levels from 9Bq/L (PG1) to 7,070Bq/L (SR3), with an average of 580Bq/L. Radon levels of hydrothermal spring attractions can be divided into three categories: (a) low radon levels below 100Bq/L, (b) moderate to high radon levels between 100 and 580Bq/L, and (c) very high radon levels greater than 580Bq/L. The total annual effective doses for adults due to ingestion and dominantly inhalation of radon at hydrothermal spring attractions varied from 0.01 to 19.30mSv/year. These results highlight the usefulness of this method as an essential tool for delineating radon concentrations, which could be used to introduce guidelines for health risk assessment.

Public exposure from inhalation of radon and thoron around the tin mine and smelter areas in Bangka, Indonesia

Radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn) were reported as the highest contributors to natural radiation received by humans. Furthermore, radon has been stated as the second-highest cause of lung cancer. The concentrations of 238U and 232Th (the parent nuclide of radon and thoron, respectively) in nature vary with geological conditions and can be enhanced by human activities. Bangka Island in Indonesia is one such case with tin mining, where the environment contains a high amount of 232Th due to the island’s granite bedrock. This study assesses the public’s exposure to radon and thoron inhalation on Bangka Island by conducting measurements using a continuous radon-thoron monitor and a time-integrated monitor for radon, thoron, and thoron progeny concentrations. From those measurements, their diurnal and seasonal variation in the dwellings on Bangka Island were analyzed. From 135 dwellings on Bangka Island, the estimated annual effective dose derived from the inhalation of radon, thoron, and their progenies reaches 4.3 mSv at the highest and a mean of 1.7 ± 0.8 mSv in which thoron contributes more than two times higher than radon. Note that the public exposure to radon and thoron inhalation in Bangka was within the reference level for the existing exposure situation.

Estimation of Radiation Dose from Uranium Mill Tailings Bricks Used as Construction Material

In this study estimation of radiation dose from the bricks which are made of uranium mill tailings (UMT) was carried out. For this purpose, RESRAD-BUILD software was used for simulation of radiological exposure of occupant in a model room made with UMT bricks of various composition. In this study, standard model room having dimensions of 5 m × 4 m × 2.8 m was considered for computation. Its floor and ceiling are built with concrete, and the walls are made by using UMT bricks. The occupant location was considered at the centre of the room at 1m height from floor. Possible pathways of exposure were external exposure and inhalation of radon and progeny. The excess dose to occupant residing in model house made by UMT bricks had been found out to be 1 mSv for composition of UMT less than 20%. Further, radon concentration inside the room attributable to UMT bricks was found to be 6.5 – 32.2 Bqm-3 for UMT composition 10%-50% which is much less than the recommended action level for radon.

Comprehensive investigation of carcinogenic radon levels in water within the Ikorodu axis of Lagos State, Nigeria

Comprehensive investigation of carcinogenic radon levels in water within the Ikorodu axis of Lagos State, Nigeria

Direct measurement of indoor thoron and radon progeny and estimation of inhalation dose in three cities in Gabon: Comparison of the use of thoron typical and measured equilibrium factor values

Direct measurement of indoor thoron and radon progeny and estimation of inhalation dose in three cities in Gabon: Comparison of the use of thoron typical and measured equilibrium factor values

Assessment of radiological risk to workers and members of the public from the operation of a groundwater treatment plant in Jordan

ABSTRACT The study aimed to evaluate the radiation doses received by workers at a pilot water treatment plant (WTP) in Jordan. It also examined the concentrations of gross alpha, gross beta, and radium activities in both groundwater and treated water, along with a radiological risk assessment for the waste generated by the treatment process. The radioactivity levels of gross alpha and gross beta in the groundwater were found to exceed the established drinking water limits. In the pilot WTP, two methods were applied for water treatment, namely, ceramic ultra-filtration (CUF) and reverse osmosis (RO), both of which produced treated water that met drinking water quality standards. The annual effective dose from external radiation exposure to the WTP workers was found to be less than 0.007 mSv y−1 (during the filters backwash operation). However, the average annual dose from internal radiation due to inhalation of radon released from groundwater reached 3.2 mSv y−1, exceeding the 1 mSv y−1 limit. Therefore, monitoring radon levels in workplaces is recommended. Radioisotope concentrations in the waste (sludge) stockpiles exceeded clearance levels, requiring them to be treated as radioactive waste. Overall, the WTP successfully produced drinking water that met quality standards, and the methods used could be replicated in other locations.

Assessment of tracheobronchial and lung dose due to radon and thoron inhalation.

The main sources of natural background radiation are radon, thoron and their progeny, which may cause health risks to humans. Keeping in mind the importance of the subject, three samples each from 10 selected residential areas, including the centre of Babylon Governorate, Iraq, and its districts, were collected. Concentration of radon and thoron was measured using solid-state track detectors (CR-39). The arithmetic means of the concentration of radon and thoron were 47.367±19.56 and 133.246±16.585 Bqm-3, respectively; these values are considered safe when compared with the upper reference level of 200-600 Bqm-3 recommended by the International Commission for Radiological Protection (ICRP). The value of the inhalation equivalent dose from radon gas discovered in these areas with rate 37.893 nSv is less than the value of the global average of 1.15 mSv. This indicates that the risks related to inhalation of radon are low as the lung dose rate (DLung), tracheobronchial region (DT-B), annual effective dose (AED) and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) is (1.894 nGyh-1, 22.736 nSv, 0.236 mSvy-1 and 0.835 x10-3), respectively. While the value of the inhalation equivalent dose (IED) from thoron as effective dose to lung DLung, AED and ELCR are equal to (0.133 nSv, 0.167 mSvy-1 and 0.587 x 10-3), respectively. To conclude, the rates in the study area are less than the ICRP recommended level of 3 mSv; therefore, the studied areas are safe from the health risks of inhalation of radon and thoron.

Assessment of the residential radon concentrations in the Bakony Region, Hungary

ObjectiveTo investigate the current levels of indoor radon activity in the geologically complex Bakony Region of Hungary, which has been historically affected by industrial activities, and to identify areas that may require further monitoring and intervention. MethodsExperiments were carried out to measure quarterly indoor radon activity concentrations in ground-floor dwellings for a year using CR-39-type nuclear track detectors at 30 locations in 9 settlements to provide current information on the Bakony Region and identify areas requiring further attention. ResultsSince the annual average indoor radon activity concentration in the Bakony Region was 86 Bq/m3 and the maximum 274 Bq/m3, that is, less than the 300 Bq/m3 national and EU reference levels, it is considered safe. Two locations were equal to or exceeded the reference level during part of the year. While most of the Region exhibited high radon concentrations in the autumn and winter, two settlements presented inverse seasonal variations. ConclusionAlthough the autumn and winter values yielded a strong correlation with the annual mean and each other, this was not the case regarding the summer and spring values. The annual mean effective dose for the Region from the inhalation of radon and its progenies was estimated to be 2.2 ​mSv/year.

Radiological assessment of radon in groundwater of the northernmost Kashmir Basin, northwestern Himalaya.

This study investigates the radon concentration in groundwater in Kupwara, the northernmost district of the Kashmir valley. It further assesses the annual effective dose experienced by the district's diverse population-infants, children, and adults-attributable to both inhalation of airborne radon released from drinking water and direct ingestion. In addition to this, the calculation of gamma dose rate is also carried out at each of the sampling site of radon. A portable radon-thoron monitor and a portable gamma radiation detector were respectively employed to estimate the activity concentration of radon in water samples and to measure the gamma dose rate. The radon concentration was found to exhibit variability from a minimum of 2.9BqL-1 to a maximum of 197.2BqL-1, with a mean of 26.3 BqL-1 and a standard deviation of 23.3BqL-1. From a total of 85 samples, 10.6% of the samples had radon activity concentrations exceeding the permissible limits of 40BqL-1 set by the United Nations Scientific Committee on Effects of Atomic Radiations as reported by UNSCEAR (Sources and effects of ionizing radiation, 2008) and only 1.2% of the samples have radon activity concentration exceeding the permissible limits of 100BqL-1 set by the World Health Organization as reported by WHO (WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2008). The mean of the annual effective dose due to inhalation for all age groups as well as the annual ingestion dose for infants and children, surpasses the World Health Organization's limit of 100μSvy-1 as reported by WHO (WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2008). The observed gamma radiation dose rate in the vicinity of groundwater radon sites ranged from a minimum of 138nSvh-1 to a maximum of 250nSvh-1. The data indicated no significant correlation between the dose rate of gamma radiation and the radon levels in the groundwater. Radon concentration of potable water in the study area presents a non-negligible exposure pathway for residents. Therefore, the judicious application of established radon mitigation techniques is pivotal to minimize public health vulnerabilities.

Indoor Radon Concentrations in Severe Cold Area and Cold Area and Impact of Energy-saving Design on Indoor Radon in China.

This study investigated indoor radon concentrations in modern residential buildings in the Cold Area and Severe Cold Area in China. A total of 19 cities covering 16 provinces were selected with 1,610 dwellings measured for indoor radon concentration. The arithmetic mean and geometric mean of indoor radon concentration were 68 Bq m-3 and 57 Bq m-3, respectively. It was found that indoor radon concentrations were much higher in the Severe Cold Area than those in the Cold Area. The indoor radon concentrations showed an increasing trend for newly constructed buildings. It was estimated that the average effective dose from inhalation of indoor radon is 2.15 mSv and 1.60 mSv for the Severe Cold Area and Cold Area, respectively. The more and more rigid energy-saving design for residential buildings in the Severe Cold Area and Cold Area has an obvious impact on the increased trend of indoor radon due to extremely low air exchange rate in China.

Annual Effective Dose Estimation from Radon Concentration in Commonly Consumed Bottled Water in Northcentral Nigeria

Radon (222Rn), the heaviest among the noble gas in the periodic table of element, is radioactive nuclide that is naturally available in rocks, soil and water. In this study, a total of ten (10) brands of commonly consumed commercial bottled water in northcentral Nigeria were collected and assigned for their radon concentration using liquid scintillation counter (LSC). The highest radon (222Rn) concentration of 0.073 Bq/l was recorded in C Way bottled water while Mr. V bottled water recorded the lowest 222Rn concentration value of 0.016 Bq/l. These values were below the parametric reference level of 11.1 Bq/l set by United State of America Environmental Protection Agency and lower than the permissible limit of 100 Bq/l by World Health Organization (WHO) and European Union. Computed total annual effective dose due to ingestion and inhalation of waterborne radon recorded the highest mean value of 0.187 μSv/y in C Way Bottled water and lowest value of 0.041 μSv/y in Mr. V bottled water. Mean total annual effective dose recorded for all the bottled water samples were found to be significantly lower than the safety limit of 0.1 mSv/y recommended by WHO. The likelihood of any radiation incidence among the public due to consumption of commercial bottled water is therefore negligible.

Assessment of radiation exposure in the phosphate mining area of Gafsa (Southeastern Tunisia)

ABSTRACT This study investigates the radiological health implications of sixty-three (63) samples of soil, food, and drinking water collected from the phosphate mining area of Gafsa in Southeastern Tunisia. Additionally, it assesses the exposure to radon concentrations in houses located around the phosphate mining sites. The activity concentrations in soil samples were found to be 382.1, 36.1 and 16.3 Bq kg−1 respectively for 40K, 232Th and 226Ra. The average activity of 232Th was higher than worldwide average value of 30 Bq kg−1. Eleven (11) radiological hazard parameters were computed based on various exposure scenarios including external gamma dose rate (GDR), annual effective dose (AED) and risk assessment (RA). The calculated GDR values were of 3.2 nGy h−1 in food and 45.4 nGy h−1 in soil samples, while the average AED values were of 3.9 µSv y−1 in food and 83.5 µSv y−1 in soil samples. Internal AED due to ingestion of radionuclides was found to have a mean value of 0.1 µSv y−1 in soil, 264.4 µSv y−1 in food and 10 µSv y−1 in drinking water samples. The AED values due to inhalation of soil-dust and radon were assessed to be 2.1 and 1.2 µSv y−1, respectively. The RA average values in food and drinking water samples were found to be 3 × 10−5 and 2.4 × 10−4, respectively. Based on the exposure pathway, inhalation of radioactivity through soil and radon resulted in highest total AED values, which remained below the reference limit. This was followed by internal exposure, with total AED values of 274.5 µSv y−1.

Intake dose rate due to various granite samples of Bangalore city, India

The majority of total radiation dose received by the world population comes from background natural radiation. The distinguishing features of this radiation include relatively persistent exposure of a population at a specific place. The amount of background radiation that is generally present in the environment is greatly influenced by the inhalation of radon (Rn), thoron (Tn), and their offspring. In light of this, measurement of dose rate exposure due to granite flooring has been attempted in Bangalore. Fifteen different granite samples, used as flooring for construction in buildings, were examined for a period of three years. Solid state nuclear track detector-based dosimeters, can technique, and radiation survey meters have been used. All the experimental observations were made according to the standard protocols provided by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. The arithmetic mean dose rate varied between 1.39 ± 0.06 and 2.09 ± 0.10 mSv y1. The values of dose rates were found to be higher in granite and lower in coarse-grained dolerite. All 15 types of granite samples have undergone a minimum of 30 measurements. The greater activity concentration of radionuclides found in granite samples leads to higher dose rates.

Radon Levels and Risk Assessment due to its Ingestion and Inhalation from Groundwater of Lapai, North-Central Nigeria

Radon exposure through ingestion or inhalation from groundwater can be a significant public health concern due to its carcinogenic effects. This study assessed the health risks of radon exposure from groundwater in Lapai, Nigeria, using a Rad7 detector to measure radon concentration levels. The measured concentrations ranged from 5.36 ± 0.22 BqL-1 to 0.52 ± 0.06 BqL-1 with an average value of 2.82 ± 0.14 BqL-1. The annual effect dose due to ingestion of Radon obtained varies in the range of 2.76 to 28.34 μSva-1, 1.02 to 10.43 μSva-1, and 1.33 to 13.69 μSva-1 for infants, children, and adults, respectively. While the effective dose per year from inhalation of Radon released from water by adults has values in the range of 1.31 to 13.50 μSva-1. Radon levels were within permissible limits of UNSCEAR and USEPA, and the annual effective doses from inhalation and ingestion were within WHO's safe range. Nonetheless, monitoring is advised, especially during the rainy season when contamination levels may increase.

Study the effects of inhalation of Tskaltubo mineral-radon waters on experimental animals

Radon balneotherapy is a traditional approach involving the use of radon sources for balneological procedures. Despite numerous studies on the impact of radon on the body, the safety of using radon for medical purposes remains uncertain. While there is a clearly defined upper limit of the dose rate to achieve a radioadaptive response, the lower limit for this hormetic effect is still inconclusive. Current beliefs suggest that the minimum effective therapeutic radon concentrations are as follows: 200 Bq/l for water baths and 700 Bq/l for inhalation of radon and its products. However, in laboratory rat studies, hormetic responses were observed at significantly lower doses of radon exposure (37 Bq/m3). To address this issue, we conducted experiments on laboratory rats, exposing them to a continuously dosed radon exposure not exceeding 50 Bq/m3. The level of inhalation-assimilated radon over 3 months was determined by measuring the presence of one of its decay products, lead-210, in flat bones. This radioisotope was analyzed using a Canberra gamma spectrometer equipped with a highly sensitive germanium detector. The results obtained indicated that at such a level of radon exposure, the hormetic response could not be attributed to radiation-induced effects.

Evaluation of radiological health risk due to ingestion and inhalation of radon in commercial packaged fruit juices consumed in Turkey

ABSTRACT Fruit juices (FJs) are among the most popular beverages frequently preferred by consumers, believing FJs contain the nutritional values, minerals, phytochemicals, vitamins, and antioxidants necessary for a healthy life. However, FJs may contain natural radionuclides such as radon (222Rn), which originates from the fruit and water utilized in their production, at levels that may pose a health risk to people. Inhalation and ingestion of 222Rn gas increases the risk of lung and stomach cancer. In this study, commercially packaged FJs from the seventeen most popular brands consumed in Turkey were analyzed for physicochemical properties and 222Rn activity concentrations to evaluate the radiological health risk. The values of pH, brix and 222Rn activity concentrations in FJ samples varied from 2.68 to 4.28, 2.50 to 14.30%, 9.6 ± 1.1 to 25.2 ± 2.5 mBq/L, respectively. The radiological health risk caused by internal exposure was evaluated for children and adults by estimating the ingestion and inhalation annual effective dose. The average values of the total annual effective dose for children and adults were found as 0.039 µSv and 0.056 µSv, respectively, which are much lower than the recommended dose of 100 µSv for drinking water.

222Rn in selected waters sources from Quang Nam - Da Nang region - Central part of Vietnam

222Rn in selected waters sources from Quang Nam - Da Nang region - Central part of Vietnam

Measurement of soil radon concentration in Balikesir and examination of its effects on health

Measurement of soil radon concentration in Balikesir and examination of its effects on health