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Radon concentration in air and external gamma dose rate: is there a correlation?

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Abstract

We checked the existence of correlations between experimentally determined radon concentration in indoor air and gamma dose rate, in different environments: residences, workplaces in subway stations and radiotherapies, and a gold mine. Except for the mine environment, where a linear correlation (r 2 = 0.86) was obtained with statistical significance, we found no correlations between those quantities. Both radiation sources are originated from natural radionuclides, nonetheless the observation of correlations depends on various conditions, as we discuss here.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Brazilian (CNPq—National Council of Research and CAPES—Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) and Argentine (MINCyT—Science and Technology Ministry and UNSL University of San Luis) funding agencies for their financial support. The authors acknowledge Henry J. Ccallata for the data on radiotherapies and metro stations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, P.O.Box 66318, São Paulo, SP, 05314-970, Brazil

    Elisabeth M. Yoshimura & Nancy K. Umisedo

  2. Serviço Especializado em Engenharia de Segurança e Medicina do Trabalho, Departamento de Saúde, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua da Reitoria, 109, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil

    Almy A. Rodrigues Da Silva

  3. Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Av. Gal Milton Tavares de Souza, s/no, Gragoatá, Niterói, RJ, 24210-340, Brazil

    Roberto M. dos Anjos

  4. GEA, Instituto de Matemática Aplicada San Luis (IMASL), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Ej. de los Andes 950, D5700HHW, San Luis, Argentina

    Marcos Rizzotto, Hugo Velasco & Diego L. Valladares

Authors
  1. Elisabeth M. Yoshimura
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  2. Almy A. Rodrigues Da Silva
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  3. Roberto M. dos Anjos
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  4. Nancy K. Umisedo
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  5. Marcos Rizzotto
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  6. Hugo Velasco
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  7. Diego L. Valladares
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Correspondence to Elisabeth M. Yoshimura.

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Yoshimura, E.M., Da Silva, A.A.R., dos Anjos, R.M. et al. Radon concentration in air and external gamma dose rate: is there a correlation?. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 307, 787–792 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4242-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4242-y

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