Study on seasonal variation of radon, thoron, and their progeny levels in indoor environments and their radiological effects on human health

Srinivasa, Erathimmaiah
Suresh, Shesha
Rangaswamy, Devagondanahalli Rangegowda
Sannappa, Jadiyappa

¹Department of Physics, Government First Grade College, Tiptur 572202, Karnataka, India
²Department of Physics, M.P.E Society's S.D.M Degree College, Honavar 581334, Karnataka, India
³Department Science and Humanities, PES University, Electronic City Campus, Bangalore 560100, India
⁴Department of Studies and Research in Physics, Kuvempu University, Shankargatta 577451, India

Corresponding author: e-mail; [email protected]

Received August 14, 2023; revision received December 05, 2023; January 20, 2024; Accepted January 26, 2024

Radiation Protection Dosimetry 200(12):p 1034-1040, July 2024. | DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncae019

Abstract

Indoor radon (²²²Rn), thoron (²²⁰Rn) and their progeny concentrations have been measured in different types of buildings at different locations in different dwellings in different seasons in Hassan city, Karnataka, using time-integrated passive radon dosemeters containing LR-115 Type II solid-state nuclear track detectors. The annual effective dose due to radon and thoron has been estimated. The activity concentrations were observed to be highest in winter and lowest in summer, and the data also shows that bathrooms and kitchens have significantly higher radon-thoron concentrations and annual effective doses.