Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T17:04:08.568Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Indoor radon concentration measurements at the site of thefirst nuclear power plant in Egypt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 May 2014

A.S. Hussein
Get access

Abstract

Radon (222Rn) is aradioactive gas that occurs naturally when uranium in soil and rock breaks down. Long-termexposure to 222Rnincreases the risk of lung cancer. The principal objective of this work was to determinethe 222Rn activityconcentration in an indoor air environment at the El-Dabaa site proposed for a nuclearpower plant project in Egypt using the track etch technique with LR115 detectors. Theannual average indoor 222Rn activity concentration in apartment buildings variesfrom 24 to 77 Bq.m-3, with a mean value of 54 Bq.m-3. The annual effective dosereceived by residents of the studied area was estimated to be 0.41 mSv. The annualestimated effective dose is less than the recommended action level by ICRP(3−10 mSv.y-1). The results from this workprovide a radiological assessment program and update the background of the naturalradioactivity map at the El-Dabaa site.

Keywords

Radonenvironmental samplesEl-DabaaLR115 detectorsnuclear power
Type
Brief Report
Information
Radioprotection , Volume 49 , Issue 3 , July 2014 , pp. 201 - 203
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2014

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abd El-Zaher, M. (2011) Seasonal variation of Indoor Radon concentration in dwellings of Alexandria City, Egypt, Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 143 (1), 56-62. Google ScholarPubMed
Abdel-Ghany, H.A. (2005) Variability of radon concentrations in different compartments of dwellings in Egypt, Medical Journal of Islamic World Academy of Sciences 15, 153-156. Google Scholar
Abo-Elmagd, M., Metwally, S.M., El-Fiki, S.A., Eissa, H.M., Salama, E. (2007) Passive and active measurements of radon-related parameters inside ancient Egyptian tombs in Luxer, Radiat. Meas. 42, 116-120. Google Scholar
Abu El-Ela A., Hafez A.F., Othman M., El-Farrash A.H. (2004) Study of radon levels in some closed area in Mansoura City, Egypt. In: Proceedings of the Environmental Physics Conference, 24–28 Feb. 2004, Minya, Egypt.
Durrani S.A., Ilic R. (1997) Radon Measurements by Etched Track Detectors. World Scientific, Singapore.
El-Bahi, S.M. (2004) Assessment of radioactivity and radon exhalation rate in Egyptian cement, Health Phys. 86 (5), 517-522. Google ScholarPubMed
EL-Daly T.A., Hussein A.S. (2008) Natural radioactivity levels in environmental samples in north western desert of Egypt. In: 3rd Environmental Physics Conference, 19–23 Feb. 2008, Aswan, Egypt.
Frank, A.L., Benton, E.V. (1997) Radon dosimetry using plastic nuclear track detectors, Nucl. Track Detection 1, 149-179. Google Scholar
Gomaa M.A., Hussein A.S., El-Arabi A.M. (2004) Radon measurements in Egypt using passive etched track detectors: a review. In: Seventh Conference of Radiation Physics and Protection, 27–30 Nov. 2004, Ismaelia, Egypt.
Hafez A.F., Hussein A.S., Rasheed N.M. (2000a) Radon measurements in underground metro stations in Cairo city, Egypt. In: Seventh Conference of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, Cairo, Egypt, 6–10 February, 2000.
Hafez, A.F., Hussein, A.S., Rasheed, N.M. (2000b) A study of radon and thoron release from Egyptian building materials using polymeric nuclear track detectors, Appl. Radiat. Isotopes 54, 291-298. Google ScholarPubMed
Hafez, A.F., Hussein, A.S. (2001) Radon activity concentrations and effective doses in ancient Egyptian tombs of the Valley of the Kings, Appl. Radiat. Isotopes 54, 355-362. Google Scholar
Hafez, A.F., Bishara, A.A., Kotb, M.A., Hussein, A.S. (2003) Regular radon activity concentration and effective dose measurements inside the Great Pyramid with passive nuclear track detectors, Health Phys. 85 (2), 210-216. Google ScholarPubMed
Hussein A.S. (2002) Measurements of environmental alpha – activity using CR-39 and LR-115 plastic nuclear track detectors, PhD thesis, Alexandria University.
Hussein A.S. (2006) Radon concentrations in some Egyptian dwellings using LR115 detectors. In: Eighth Conference of Radiation Physics and Protection, 12–17 Nov. 2006, Bani Sueif, Egypt.
IAEA (2000) Environmental and source monitoring for purpose of radiation protection, IAEA Safety Guide No Rs-G-1.8.
ICRP Publication 65 (1993) International Commission on Radiological Protection, Protection Against Radon-222 at Home and at Work. Pergamon Press, Oxford.
Planinić, J., Radolic, V., Faj, B., Varga, Z. (1997) Radon equilibrium factor and aerosol, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A 396, 414-417. Google Scholar
Somogy G. (1990) The environmental behavior of radium, Technical Report Series No. 310, Vol. 1 Chaps. 3–8, International Atomic Energy Agency.
UNSCEAR (1993) United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, Sources and effects of ionizing radiation, United Nations, New York.
UNSCEAR (2000) Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation, Report to the general Assembly, United Nations, New York.
WHO (2009) Handbook on Indoor Radon: A public Health Perspective. World Health Organization Press.