The assessment of radon/thoron ratio in Ukraine dwellings

Book · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:225493

Geets, V I; Varbanets, A N; Sorokobatkina, V D

The main task of their work was the determination of radon/thoron ratio in air of dwellings for assessing thoron contribution to total individual dose of exposure to radon and thoron. The measurements of equivalent balance concentration (EBC) have been conducted by using radonometer (model 3S, Silena, Italy) for estimating a volume activity of short-lived radionuclides associated with radon/thoron semi-decay. The results obtained show that in the regions contaminated due to the Chernobyl accident depending on regional and residential peculiarities the average EBC value for radon in air of dwellings in 1992--1993 was ranged from 1.0 to 27.5 Bg/m{sup 3}, the EBC value for thoron (radon-220) -- from 0.15 to 8.6 Bq/m{sup 3}; radon/thoron ratio was equal to 1.1--17.4; and total average dose of exposure to radon -- from 0.31 to 2.69 mkZv/year. Their calculations show that a great correlation (correlation factor was recorded to be more that 0.52) between the EBC values for radon and thoron was registered in air of dwellings. In some cases thoron contribution (78.0%) to total individual exposure dose is greater that radon-contribution. Thus, when assessing exposure it is urgent to take into account not only the EBC value for radon but the EBC value for thoron, too.

• OSTI ID: 225493
• Report Number(s): CONF-950917--; ISBN 0-7918-1219-7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
57 HEALTH AND SAFETY
ACTIVITY LEVELS
AIR QUALITY
CHERNOBYLSK-4 REACTOR
COMPILED DATA
CONTAMINATION
ISOTOPE RATIO
MELTDOWN
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADON 220
RADON 222
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
UKRAINE