House-Type Analysis of 222Rn, 220Rn, and their Progeny in some Dwellings in Budgam Karewas of the Kashmir Valley

Authors

  • Mehak Mohi u Din Department of Physics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190 006, India
  • Shakeel Simnani Department of Physics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190 006, India
  • Salik Nazir Department of Physics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190 006, India
  • Mohammad Rafiq Chakan Department of Physics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190 006, India
  • Sajad Masood Department of Physics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190 006, India
  • Supriya Rani Department of Physics, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, Punjab 151 001, India
  • Amit Kumar Singla bDepartment of Physics, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, Punjab 151 001, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56042/ijpap.v61i6.2427

Keywords:

Radon, Thoron, SSNTDs, Progeny levels, Types of dwellings, Radiation dose

Abstract

The average radiation dose received by humans each year as natural background radiation is 2.4 mSv and long-term exposure to such harmful radiation can be severely hazardous. According to the BEIR-VI report, radon (222Rn) alone accounts for higher than 50% of all ambient radiation from natural sources. Thus, its quantification is essential to evaluate any risk imposed by radiation dose to human health. Newly created LR-115 films embedded in the pinhole detectors have been used for passive time-integrated assessment of the radon (222Rn), thoron (220Rn), and their progeny levels in permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary house types. The annual average radon levels in these three house types were 31.7 Bqm-3, 37.2 Bqm-3, and 55.2 Bqm-3, respectively. The annual average value of radon of permanent and semi-permanent houses was found to lie below, while that of temporary houses exceeded the worldwide average of 40 Bqm-3. Meanwhile, permanent houses have annual mean thoron concentrations of 31.3 Bqm-3, semi-permanent houses have 40.9 Bqm-3, and temporary, houses have 41.58 Bqm-3. All three house types outperformed the annual global average of thoron.

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Published

2023-06-12