A survey of indoor radon in songkla province.

A study of indoor radon was carried out on 1,052 different buildings in Songkla Province, Thai-land, using an activated charcoal canister for sample collection and a gamma spectrometer for analysis of the samples. The survey revealed the presence of radon gas inside all the buildings investigated, varying in concen-tration from 2.14 to 86.10 Bequerels/cubic metre (16.15 + 11.97 Bq.m-3). Although the levels of radon encoun-tered were well below the safety threshold of 148 Bq.m-3 established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a trend was detected suggesting that high levels within the normal range are prevalent in certain areas of the province. The phenomenon will be investigated in the next setting. With regard to the type, age and ventilation status of the buildings, and the practice of smoking indoors, the findings of this investigation do not conclusively support the notion of their contributing to, or being mutually associated with, indoor gaseous concentrations of radon.

Aeroallergens in songkla province.

An all year round survey of atmospheric pollens and molds was made in Hat Yai, Songkla Province in the south of Thailand by Durham’s standard gravity method from 1st January 1984 to 31st December 1984. Most aeroallergens found were mold spores, with Cladosporium (Hormodendrum) on top of the list, and Helminthosporium, Alternaria, Ascospore, Fusarium, Curvalaria, Torula, Rust, Stemphylium Smut, Tetraploa, and Ledtosporium were found to be less common in that order. Grass pollens were found in low counts, as well as weed pollens, which most of them belong to the group of Chenopod-Amaranthus. Unidentifiable pollens were found in high counts, and were probably the pollens of para rubber, cashew, corn, oil palm or wattle. The atmospheric pollens and mold spores were found throughout the year with highest peak in summer and lowest in November and December when there was heavy rain.