Determination of Indoor Radon Concentrations and Annual Effective Dose Equivalents at Afyon Kocatepe University Ahmet Necdet Sezer Campus

Abstract

People generally spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Exposure to radon in indoor environments can be a significant health problem. In this study, radon concentrations were measured to evaluate the health risks of employees and students in 6 faculty buildings in Afyon Kocatepe University Ahmet Necdet Sezer Campus and to calculate annual effective dose equivalents. Measurements were carried out in the Genitron AlphaGUARD PQ2000 PRO Radon Detector System which measures with active measurement method. The radon concentration values of the faculty buildings are 4.48-82.00 Bqm-3; mean radon concentrations were determined in the range of 20.64-30.91 Bqm-3. The average radon concentration of all buildings was calculated as 24.79 Bqm-3. The annual effective dose equivalents of 6 faculty buildings were determined in the range of 0.16-0.24 mSvy-1, and the average annual effective dose equivalent was calculated as 0.20 mSvy-1. The results were compared with the limit values recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) for radon gas concentrations in indoor environments. The measurement results of the radon concentrations and annual effective dose equivalents of the 6 faculty buildings on the ANS Campus were determined below the limit values allowed by the institutions.