Measurement of Indoor Radon Concentration in Various Dwellings of Baghdad Iraq

Abstract

In this study, indoor radon concentration (CRn) were measured by solid state nuclear track detectors in bare mode using CR-39 inside fifteen dwelling at different locations in Baghdad governorate for a period two months. The Potential Alpha Energy concentration (PAEC) in Working Level (WL) of radon daughters, exposure to radon progeny (EP) in (WLM Y-1), the annual effective dose (mSv/y) and the lung cancer cases per year per million person (CPPP) have been studied. The results show that the radon concentration ranged from 83.4 Bq/m3 in Topchi to 238.8 Bq/m3 in Baya with average 116.78 Bq/m3, Potential Alpha Energy concentration values of radon daughters varies from (0.009 to 0.026) WL with an average value of 0.02WL, the annual effective dose rate from 2.10 to 6.02 mSv/y with average 2.95 mSv/y, exposure to radon progeny from 3.71 to 10.62 WLM Y-1 with average 5.2WLMY-1 and the lung cancer per year per million person from 0.88 to 4.46 with average 1.7. The indoor radon concentration was in agreement to radon concentration levels (200 Bq/m3) recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP).