Radon Exhalation Rates of Soil Samples from Khon Kaen Province, Thailand

Abstract

Radon, which can be also detected in water, forms naturally from the decay of uranium and radium found in different amounts in soil and rock. Radon from soil gases is the main cause of health hazards. Radon exhalation escapes from the ground into the air, where radon and radon progeny decays and produces radioactive particles. When inhaled, they can damage the deoxyribonucleic acid and potentially cause lung cancer. Hence, this study measured the radon exhalation rates in soil samples from 26 districts of Khon Kaen Province, Thailand by the active detector method. The closed-loop measurement system in the active detector was made up of the electronic radon detector and a bulk chamber in a 2.8-L volume. The measurement time for each sample was 24 h. Results showed that the radon concentration in soil samples varied from 5.60 to 67.10 Bq m-3 (average: 21.94±4.55 Bq m-3). The radon mass exhalation rates ranged from 7.34 to 17.51 mBq kg-1 h-1 (average: 11.39±3.38 mBq kg-1 h-1) while the radon surface exhalation rates were in the range of 0.29 to 1.31 mBq m-2 h-1 (average: 0.81±0.90 mBq m-2 h-1). The radon surface exhalation rate of the soil samples was below the average worldwide value of 57,600 mBq m-2 h-1 as set by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. It was concluded that the soil from the province does not pose any radiological health hazard to the general public.

Continuous Monitoring of Radon Contamination Levels in Lower Nam Phong River, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand

“…The researcher randomly selected 8 study areas and 8 boat survey routes along the Phong River for the research. These selections were based on data measuring the radium content in the Phong River from V.Atyotha's 2013 research [10] and data from the raw water pumping station used for tap water production in Khon Kaen Province [15], as illustrated in Figure 1.…”

“…While decaying to produce radon, the lower Nam Phong River washes away radon from the gravel, sand, and silt. Although the amount of radon contamination in water bodies is small, a large amount of accumulation in the body from regular water use will result in a health hazard [4,10]. Most of the tap water used by people in Khon Kaen in daily life is produced from the raw water pumping station of the lower Nam Phong River [10].…”

“…Although the amount of radon contamination in water bodies is small, a large amount of accumulation in the body from regular water use will result in a health hazard [4,10]. Most of the tap water used by people in Khon Kaen in daily life is produced from the raw water pumping station of the lower Nam Phong River [10]. In the past ten years, Khon Kaen Province has experienced rapid economic expansion, expanding communities, houses, agricultural buildings, and various industrial factories, resulting in increased demand for water [11,12].…”

“…In the past ten years, Khon Kaen Province has experienced rapid economic expansion, expanding communities, houses, agricultural buildings, and various industrial factories, resulting in increased demand for water [11,12]. At the same time, the Lower Nam Phong River has become the support area of waste all the time, which is causing it to exceed the ability to purify itself naturally, affecting water quality and utilization of water in the Lower Nam Phong River, which will affect damage the environment and quality of life [10,13,14]. In a study published in 2013 on cancer-causing factors due to radium-226 concentration in the Nam Phong River, Khon Kaen Province, it was found that the river was contaminated with radium-226 (the radium-226 is radon's parent nuclide), ranged from 0 to 77.27 Bq/L, averaging 47.61 Bq/L.…”

“…Although the concentration of radium-226 in the Nam Phong River is below the USEPA standard of 111 mBq/L for radium-226 contamination, it is still considered high, necessitating continuous monitoring. Areas of concern include Ban Huai Bong in Thung Chomphu Subdistrict, Phu Wiang District; Ban Huai Sai in Ban Dong Subdistrict, Ubonrat District; and Ban Nong Tao in Khok Si Subdistrict, Mueang District [10]. There is a possibility that contamination levels could exceed the standard in the future.…”