Indoor222Rn exposure in selected schools and residential dwellings of Mandya, Karnataka

Abstract

The people typically spend most of their time at home and schools and also it workplaces for teachers and administrators and service staff, who might spend even more time than children in school buildings. In view of this, indoor radon concentration has been carried out in selected residential and schools located in Mandya, Karnataka, using solid-state nuclear track detector technique. Annual mean values of222Rn in selected schools and houses were found to be 17.4 and 23.3 Bq/m3, respectively. The data distribution was discussed using lognormal probability plots. The doses to different organs and tissues were calculated using the ICRP model of the respiratory tract, and intercomparison of risk is discussed. It can be seen that the larger fraction of the dose is delivered to the lungs (69%) and extrathoracic region (31%) of the body.

Keywords

• houses
• inhalation dose
• radon
• schools
• solid-state nuclear track detector