Indoor inhalation dose estimates due to radon and thoron in some areas of South-Western Punjab, India.

LR-115 (type II)-based radon-thoron discriminating twin-chamber dosemeters have been used for estimating radon ((222)Rn) and thoron ((220)Rn) concentrations in dwellings of south-western Punjab, India. The present study region has shown pronounced cases of cancer incidents in the public [Thakur, Rao, Rajwanshi, Parwana and Kumar (Epidemiological study of high cancer among rural agricultural community of Punjab in Northern India. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2008; 5(5):399-407) and Kumar et al. (Risk assessment for natural uranium in subsurface water of Punjab state, India. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 2011;17:381-93)]. Radon being a carcinogen has been monitored in some dwellings selected randomly in the study area. Results show that the values of radon ((222)Rn)  varied from 21 to 79 Bq m(-3), with a geometric mean of 45 Bq m(-3) [geometric standard deviation (GSD 1.39)], and those of thoron ((220)Rn)  from minimum detection level to 58 Bq m(-3) with a geometric mean of 19 Bq m(-3) (GSD 1.88). Bare card data are used for computing the progeny concentration by deriving the equilibrium factor (F) using a root finding method [Mayya, Eappen and Nambi (Methodology for mixed field inhalation dosimetry in monazite areas using a twin-cup dosemeter with three track detectors. Radiat Prot Dosim 1998;77(3):177-84)]. Inhalation doses have been calculated and compared using UNSCEAR equilibrium factors and by using the calculated F-values. The results show satisfactory comparison between the values.

Radiation dose in the high background radiation area in Kerala, India.

A systematic radiological survey has been carried out in the region of high-background radiation area in Kollam district of Kerala to define the natural gamma-radiation levels. One hundred and forty seven soil samples from high-background radiation areas and five samples from normal background region were collected as per standard sampling procedures and were analysed for (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K by gamma-ray spectroscopy. External gamma dose rates at all sampling locations were also measured using a survey meter. The activities of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K was found to vary from 17 to 3081 Bq kg(-1), 54 to 11976 Bq kg(-1) and BDL (67.4 Bq kg(-1)) to 216 Bq kg(-1), respectively, in the study area. Such heterogeneous distribution of radionuclides in the region may be attributed to the deposition phenomenon of beach sand soil in the region. Radium equivalent activities were found high in several locations. External gamma dose rates estimated from the levels of radionuclides in soil had a range from 49 to 9244 nGy h(-1). The result of gamma dose rate measured at the sampling sites using survey meter showed an excellent correlation with dose rates computed from the natural radionuclides estimated from the soil samples.

Indoor radon levels in urban Hyderabad area, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Indoor radon levels in urban areas of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India were measured by a time integrated method using solid state nuclear track detector-based dosemeters. Results show that the radon levels varied widely in the area ranging from 17 to 311 Bq m(-3) with a geometric mean value of 52.8 Bq m(-3) (GSD=1.7). Cumulative frequency distribution of radon levels gave a best fit on a log-normal scale. Measurements were carried out for 1 y, segregating the measurement periods in accordance with seasonal changes. Soil samples from the region were also analysed for natural radionuclides to study its effect, if any, on indoor radon levels. Dwellings categorised based on construction types showed that the average radon levels in the order tiles (TLE)>asbestos (ASB)>concrete (RCC) for the roof structures. The estimated radon levels in the study area are relatively higher than the country's average value of 23 Bq m(-3) and global average value of 30 Bq m(-3).

Calibration of an electrostatic chamber for thoron measurements in exhaled breath.

An electrostatic chamber system used for measuring thoron in the exhaled breath of thorium workers is calibrated using a standard thoron source and a scintillation cell counting system. A formulation based on both a streamlined flow model and a well-mixed flow model in the chamber has been made to estimate thoron concentration in breath from the observed alpha counts. The experimental measurements of the ratio of the outlet and the inlet thoron concentrations across the chamber strongly validate the well-mixed flow model for thoron, as against the streamlined flow model. The progeny collection efficiency on the electrode has been found to be 70%. The study points out a major error by a factor of approximately 25 in the calibration factor reported in an earlier work. From the present study, the minimum detectable limit of the activity of (224)Ra, freely emanating thoron at mouth works out to be 0.36 Bq as against 0.014 Bq reported earlier for the same system.

Thoron levels in the dwellings of Hyderabad city, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Thoron and its progeny concentration levels were measured in the urban Hyderabad area using solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) based dosimeters. Measurements were carried out on quarterly cycles making four measurements at each location in a calendar year. More than 100 dwellings of different construction types were chosen for the study across Hyderabad city. The thoron concentration levels were found to vary between 8 and 330 Bq m(-3). The geometric mean value of thoron concentration was found to be 37.3 Bq m(-3) (GSD = 2.3) with an average of 55 +/- 57 Bq m(-3). Results were analysed for different category of houses with respect to their construction type. It was found that the dwellings with mud flooring had higher thoron levels.