Indoor Activity of Short-Lived Radon Progeny as Critical Parameter in Dose Assessment

Abstract:

Different measurements of equilibrium equivalent concentration of radon progeny (EEC_Rn) were obtained over a period of one year in indoor air of Physics Department at Minia University, located in the Upper Egypt. A method based on an alpha spectroscopy was used. Sartorius membrane filters (1.2 μm pore size, 25 mm diameter and its efficiency about 100%) were used as a collection media. Alpha activities were measured during and after air sampling by using surface barrier detector. EEC_Rn varied between 1.26 and 19 Bq m^-3 with an average value of 5.2 ± 0.46 Bq m^-3. Unattached fraction was determined using a single stainless steel-wire-mesh screen (50% penetration for 4 nm equivalent diameter). A mean unattached fraction (f_b) of 0.08 was obtained. Based on the obtained measured data values (f_b and EEC_Rn), dose conversion factors were compared to epidemiology based value of 4 mSv/WLM for indoor air.

• Periodical: Solid State Phenomena (Volume 238)
• Pages: 151-160
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.238.151
• Online since: August 2015
• Authors: Mostafa Yuness*, Amer Mohamed, Moustafa Abd El-Hady, Mona Moustafa, Hyam Nazmy
• Keywords: EEC, Indoor Air, Short-Lived ²²²Rn Progeny, Surface-Barrier Detector, Unattached Fraction

References

[1] United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. (UNSCEAR), Sources, effects and risks of ionizing radiation. Report to the General Assembly, with annexes. United Nations Publications, New York, (1993).

DOI: 10.18356/55345362-en

[2] United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), sources and effects of ionizing radiations. Report to the General Assembly with Scientific Annexes. United Nations, New York, (2000).

DOI: 10.18356/28d343af-en

[3] A.C. James, F.T. Cross, J.S. Durham, J. Briant, P. KGehr, R. Masse, Dosimetry model for bronchial and extrathoracic tissues of the respiratory tract, Radiation Protection Dosimetry 37 (1991) 221-230.

DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a081055

[4] P.K. Hopke, Some thoughts on the 'Unattached', fraction of radon decay products. Health Physics, 63 (1992) 209-212.

DOI: 10.1097/00004032-199208000-00011

[5] International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP, Lung cancer risk from indoor exposure to radon daughters, Pergamon Press, Oxford; ICRP Publication, 17(1) ICRP Publication 50, (1987).

DOI: 10.3109/02841868709113723

[6] International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP, Protection against Radon-222 at Home and at Work. Pergamon Press, Oxford, ICRP Publication, 65 (1994 a, b).

DOI: 10.1080/09553009414551371

[7] J. Vaupotič, Nanosize radon short-lived decay products in the air of the Postojna Cave, Science of the Total Environment 393 (2008) 27.

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.12.022

[8] M. ‏ Shimo, Y. Ikebe, Measurements of radon and its short-lived decay products and unattached fraction in air. Radiation Protection Dosimetry 8 (1984) 209–214.

DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a083056

[9] A. ‏ Reineking, K.H. Becker, J. Porstendörfer, Measurements of the unattached fractions of radon daughters in houses. The Science of the Total Environment 45 (1985)‏ 261–270.

DOI: 10.1016/0048-9697(85)90227-x

[10] A. ‏ Reineking, K.H. ‏ Becker, J. ‏ Porstendörfer, Measurements of activity size distributions of the short-lived radon daughters in the indoor and outdoor environment, Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 24 (1988) 245-250.

DOI: 10.1093/rpd/24.1-4.245

[11] A. ‏ Reineking, K.J. ‏ Porstendörfer, Unattached fraction of short-lived Rn decay products in indoor and outdoor environments: an improved single-screen method and results. Health Physcis 58 (1990) 715–727.

DOI: 10.1097/00004032-199006000-00003

[12] J. ‏ Porstendörfer, A. Reineking, Indoor behaviour and characteristics of radon progeny. Radiation Protection Dosimetry 45 (1992) 303–311.

DOI: 10.1093/rpd/45.1-4.303

[13] J. Porstendörfer, Behavior of radon daughter products in indoor air. Radiation Protection Dosimetry 7 (1984) 107–113.

DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a082973

[14] J. Porstendörfer, Properties and behavior of radon and thoron and their decay products in the air, Journal of Aerosol Science 25 (1994) 219–263.

DOI: 10.1016/0021-8502(94)90077-9

[15] J. Porstendörfer, Radon: measurements related to dose. Environment International 22 (1996) 563–583.

DOI: 10.1016/s0160-4120(96)00158-4

[16] J. Porstendörfer, Physical parameters and dose factors of the radon and thoron decay products. Radiation Protection Dosimetry 94 (2001) 365–373.

DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a006512

[17] T.W. Piotr, C.J. Anthony, Unattached fraction measuring technique and radon lung dose, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 51(1) (2000) 137–151.

DOI: 10.1016/s0265-931x(00)00049-7

[18] C. Huet, G. Tymen, D. Boulaud, Size distribution, equilibrium ratio and unattached fraction of radon decay products under typical indoor domestic conditions, The Science of the Total Environment 272 (2001) 97–103.

DOI: 10.1016/s0048-9697(01)00671-4

[19] J. Vaupotič, Nano-size radon short-lived progeny aerosols in Slovenian kindergartens in winter time, Chemosphere 69 (2007) 856.

DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.06.022

[20] C. Kranrod, S. Tokonami, T. Ishikawa, A. Sorimachi, M. Janik, R. Shingaki, M. Furukawa, S. Chanyotha, N. Chankow, Mitigation of the effective dose of radon decay products through the use of an air cleaner in a dwelling in Okinawa, Japan, Applied Radiation and Isotopes 67 (2009).

DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2009.02.087

[21] M. Singh, K. Singh, S. Singh, Z. Papp, Variation of indoor radon progeny concentration and its role in dose assessment. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 99 (2008) 539-545.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2007.08.023

[22] M.P. Ruffle, The geometrical efficiency of a parallel disc-source and detector system. Nuclear Instruments and Methods 52 (1967) 354–358.

DOI: 10.1016/0029-554x(67)90248-0

[23] A. Wicke, Untersuchungen zur Frage der natu¨ rlichen Radioactivita¨ t der Luft in Wohn un Aufenthaltsraumen. Ph.D. thesis, Univ. Giessen, Germany, (1979).

[24] A. Mohammed, Activity size distribution of short-lived radon progeny in indoor air, Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 86(2) (1999) 139–145.

DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a032933

[25] A. Mohamed, M. Abd El-hady, M. Moustafa, M. Yuness, Deposition pattern of inhaled radon progeny size distribution in human lung. Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences. 7(3) (2014) 333-337.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jrras.2014.05.004

[26] A. Mohamed, A.A. Ahmed, A.E. Ali, M. Yuness, Attached and unattached activity size distribution of short-lived radon progeny (214pb) and evaluation of deposition fraction, Journal of Nuclear and Radiation Physics, 3 (2008) 101-108.

[27] A.M. Marenny, A.S. Vorozhtsov, N.A. Nefedov, O.A. Orlova, Results of radon concentration measurements in some regions of Russia. Radiation Measurements 26 (1996) 43-48.

DOI: 10.1016/1350-4487(94)00090-5

[28] M.I. Al-Jarallah, F. Rehman, F. Abu-Jarad, A. Al-Shukri, Indoor radon measurements in dwellings of four Saudi Arabian cities. Radiation Measurements 36 (2003) 445-448.

DOI: 10.1016/s1350-4487(03)00168-9

[29] K.M. Abumurad, M.H. Al-Tamimi, Natural radioactivity due to radon in Soum region, Jordan. Radiation Measurements 39 (2005) 77-80.

DOI: 10.1016/j.radmeas.2004.02.017

[30] C. Diyun, Y. Xingbao, H. Ruiying, Indoor radon survey in indoor environments in Zhuhai city, China. Radiation Measurements 39 (2005) 205-207.

DOI: 10.1016/j.radmeas.2004.04.012

[31] J.C. Ching, C.L. Chi, L. Yu-Ming, Measurement of equilibrium factor and unattached fraction of radon progeny in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Applied Radiation and Isotopes 49(12) (1998) 1613–1618.

DOI: 10.1016/s0969-8043(98)00065-7