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Radon activity concentrations and effective doses in ancient Egyptian tombs of the Valley of the Kings

Abstract

Radon concentrations and equilibrium factors were measured in three pharaonic tombs during the year 1998. The tombs, which are open to the public are located in a limestone wadi on the West Bank of the River Nile at Luxor, 650 km south of Cairo. The radon activity concentration and equilibrium factor were measured monthly by two-integral nuclear track detectors (bare and diffusion detectors). Seasonal variation of radon concentrations, with summer maximum and winter minimum were observed in all tombs investigated. The yearly mean radon activity concentrations inside the tombs ranged from 540 to 3115 Bq m{sup -3}. The mean equilibrium factor over a year was found to be 0.25 and 0.32 inside and at the entrance, respectively. Estimated annual effective doses to tour guides ranged from 0.33 to 1.90 mSv, visitors receive doses from 0.65 to 3.80 {mu}Sv per visit. The effective dose to tomb workers did not exceed the 20 mSv yr{sup -1} limit.
Publication Date:
Sep 01, 2001
Product Type:
Journal Article
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: Applied Radiation and Isotopes; Journal Volume: 55; Journal Issue: 3; Other Information: PII: S0969804301000653; Copyright (c) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: Canada; PBD: Sep 2001
Subject:
07 ISOTOPES AND RADIATION SOURCES; DOSE RATES; DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS; EGYPTIAN ARAB REPUBLIC; EMANOMETERS; EQUILIBRIUM; RADIATION DETECTORS; RADIOACTIVITY; RADON; SEASONAL VARIATIONS
OSTI ID:
20263835
Country of Origin:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: ISSN 0969-8043; ARISEF; TRN: GB02S1156030295
Submitting Site:
GBN
Size:
page(s) 355-362
Announcement Date:
Aug 15, 2002

Citation Formats

Hafez, A F, and Hussein, A S. Radon activity concentrations and effective doses in ancient Egyptian tombs of the Valley of the Kings. United Kingdom: N. p., 2001. Web. doi:10.1016/S0969-8043(01)00065-3.
Hafez, A F, & Hussein, A S. Radon activity concentrations and effective doses in ancient Egyptian tombs of the Valley of the Kings. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0969-8043(01)00065-3
Hafez, A F, and Hussein, A S. 2001. "Radon activity concentrations and effective doses in ancient Egyptian tombs of the Valley of the Kings." United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0969-8043(01)00065-3.
@misc{etde_20263835,
title = {Radon activity concentrations and effective doses in ancient Egyptian tombs of the Valley of the Kings}
author = {Hafez, A F, and Hussein, A S}
abstractNote = {Radon concentrations and equilibrium factors were measured in three pharaonic tombs during the year 1998. The tombs, which are open to the public are located in a limestone wadi on the West Bank of the River Nile at Luxor, 650 km south of Cairo. The radon activity concentration and equilibrium factor were measured monthly by two-integral nuclear track detectors (bare and diffusion detectors). Seasonal variation of radon concentrations, with summer maximum and winter minimum were observed in all tombs investigated. The yearly mean radon activity concentrations inside the tombs ranged from 540 to 3115 Bq m{sup -3}. The mean equilibrium factor over a year was found to be 0.25 and 0.32 inside and at the entrance, respectively. Estimated annual effective doses to tour guides ranged from 0.33 to 1.90 mSv, visitors receive doses from 0.65 to 3.80 {mu}Sv per visit. The effective dose to tomb workers did not exceed the 20 mSv yr{sup -1} limit.}
doi = {10.1016/S0969-8043(01)00065-3}
journal = []
issue = {3}
volume = {55}
journal type = {AC}
place = {United Kingdom}
year = {2001}
month = {Sep}
}