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The study of indoor radon in the urban dwellings using plastic track detectors

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Abstract

Radon and its progeny have been recognized as one of the major contributors to the natural radiation and health hazards in the human dwellings. Even lung cancer is expected if it is present in enhanced levels beyond maximum permissible limit. This paper reports the measurements of indoor radon and its progeny in the urban dwellings of the Etah district of Uttar Pradesh province in Northern India using the cellulose nitrate (LR-115 type-II) plastic track detectors. It is found that the values of radon concentration vary from 3.52 to 248.64 Bq m−3 with a standard deviation of 69.19. The values of radon progeny concentration vary from 0.38 to 26.88 mWL with a standard deviation of 7.48. The effective dose has been calculated and found to vary from 0.05 to 3.76 mSv year−1 with a standard deviation of 1.05. The lifetime fatality risk is found to vary from 0.04 × 10−4 to 2.90 × 10−4. The results have been compared with the results reported in the rural areas of the same district.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Dr. R.G. Sonkawade, IUAC New Delhi, India, for providing the spark counter facility for analysis of radon and its progeny, and fruitful discussion. Authors are also thankful to the residents of the study area for their cooperation during the field work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Physics, Z. H. College of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India

    M. Shakir Khan, M. Zubair, Deepak Verma, A. H. Naqvi, Ameer Azam & M. K. Bhardwaj

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  1. M. Shakir Khan
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  2. M. Zubair
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  3. Deepak Verma
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  4. A. H. Naqvi
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  5. Ameer Azam
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  6. M. K. Bhardwaj
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Correspondence to M. Shakir Khan.

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Shakir Khan, M., Zubair, M., Verma, D. et al. The study of indoor radon in the urban dwellings using plastic track detectors. Environ Earth Sci 63, 279–282 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0701-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0701-5

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