Assessment of indoor radon doses received by the students in the Azad Kashmir schools, Pakistan

Abstract

Several epidemiological studies conducted on thousands of underground miners suggest that long- term exposure to high radon concentration can increase the risk of lung cancer. Keeping in view the importance of the subject, numerous studies throughout the world have been carried out to measure indoor radon concentration and its resulting doses at occupational and non-occupational sites. The purpose of the current study was to measure indoor radon concentration and its resulting doses received by the students of Azad Kashmir government schools. For this purpose, CR-39 radon detectors were installed in 80 carefully selected schools. The detectors were placed at a height of 3-5 ft. (depending upon average height of students in particular class) from the ground. After exposure of 90 d detectors were etched for 9 h in 6 M NaOH at 70°C and the observed track densities were related to radon concentrations. The measured indoor radon concentration ranged from 22 ± 9 to 228 ± 3 Bq m(-3) with a mean value of 78 ± 5 Bq m(-3). Based on the measured indoor radon data, the annual effective doses were found to vary from 0.55 ± 0.04 to 0.71 ± 0.03 mSv y(-1). The overall mean effective dose for the studied area was found to be 0.63 ± 0.04 mSv y(-1). Reported values for radon concentrations and corresponding doses are lower than ICRP recommended limits for workplaces.

DNA excision repair and double-strand break repair gene polymorphisms and the level of chromosome aberration in children with long-term exposure to radon

“…These particles can be inhaled into the lung where they may penetrate the epithetlial cells that cover the bronchi and alveoli. These short-lived, unstable decay daughter products (especially 218 Po and 214 Po) emit alpha particles that can interact with biological tissues in the lungs and induce DNA damage (Bilban and Bilban 2005;Rafique et al 2010). Inhaled radon in the lung dissolves in the blood-stream and travels to all parts of the body, acquiring equilibrium in tissues according to its relative solubility.…”

Associations of DNA-repair gene polymorphisms with a genetic susceptibility to ionizing radiation in residents of areas with high radon (222Rn) concentration

“…These particles can be inhaled into the lungs, where they may penetrate the epithelial cells that cover the bronchi and alveoli. These short-lived, unstable decay daughter products (especially 218 Po and 214 Po) emit alpha particles that can interact with biological tissues in the lungs and induce DNA damage (Rafique and Rahman 2010). According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) assessment, radon is related to group I carcinogens (Rushton et al 2010).…”

Measurements of Indoor Radon Levels and Dose Estimation and Lung Cancer Risk Determination for Workers in Health Centres of Some Towns in the Sudan

“…The use of the CR-39 plastic track detector in air volume of cups has become the most reliable procedure for time-integrated, long measurements of radon and their daughter activity concentrations under different environmental conditions [11][12]. Using this procedure, there have been some surveys measuring indoor radon in dwellings and public buildings such as schools, shops and pharmacies [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20], in workplaces [21][22][23][24].…”