skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Contributions of Various Radiological Sources to Background in a Suburban Environment

Journal Article · · Health Physics
 [1];  [1]
  1. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States
+ Show Author Affiliations

This work is a brief overview and comparison of dose rates stemming from both indoor and outdoor natural background radiation and household objects within a suburban environment in North Carolina. Combined gamma and beta dose rates were taken from indoor objects that ranged from the potassium in fruit to the americium in smoke detectors. For outdoor measurements, various height and time data samples were collected to show fluctuations in dose rate due to temperature inversion and geometric attenuation. Although each sample tested proved to have a statistically significant increase over background using Students t-test, no sample proved to be more than a minor increase in natural radiation dose. Furthermore, the relative contributions from natural radioactivity such as potassium in foods and common household items are shown to be easily distinguished from background using standard handheld instrumentation when applied in a systematic, methodological manner.

Research Organization:
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development (NA-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0002576
OSTI ID:
1438410
Journal Information:
Health Physics, Vol. 111, Issue 5; ISSN 0017-9078
Publisher:
Health Physics SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 2 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Figures / Tables (10)

FIG. 1(p. 2)figure FIG. 1
FIG. 2(p. 2)figure FIG. 2
FIG. 3(p. 2)figure FIG. 3
FIG. 4(p. 3)figure FIG. 4
FIG. 6(p. 4)figure FIG. 6
FIG. 7(p. 4)figure FIG. 7
FIG. 8(p. 5)figure FIG. 8
FIG. 9(p. 5)figure FIG. 9
Table 1(p. 5)table Table 1
FIG. 10(p. 6)figure FIG. 10

Similar Records

Related Subjects

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
operational topics
dose assessment
environmental assessment
radiation
background