Geological Materials as Sources of Rn Emissions

Abstract

Geological materials are a potential source of pollutants, among which there is the radioactive isotope 222Rn, which result of radioactive decay of daughter radionuclides of uranium (238U). It is emitted as a gas that it can be released to the air to enter the human body, with the potential to affect internal organs (mostly the lungs) by alpha particles production. While the presence of uranium in the materials is a necessary condition for the production of Rn-222, the amount of gas emitted by the material depends on other characteristics that allow the migration of the gas. The main aim of this communication concerns a statistical analysis of results from diverse types of rocks.