A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON INDOOR RADON MEASUREMENTS IN SOME MUD MADE HOUSES IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF DERA ISMAIL KHAN CITY OF PAKISTAN
Abstract
Indoor radon concentration measurements were carried out in 40 dwellings in the outskirts of Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, using CR-39 track detectors. The measurements were performed for a period of three months i.e. from 16th September to 14th December. The detectors were fixed in National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) dosimeters and installed in the rooms of mud made houses. The results of indoor radon levels were found to vary from 70±16 to 222±29 Bq m−3 with an average value of 139±23 Bq m−3. The average value was within the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommended limits. However, 43% and 75% houses were found to have indoor radon concentration above the recommended levels set by United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) and World Health Organization (WHO), respectively.References
M. Eisenbud and T. Gesell, Environmental
Radioactivity from Natural, Industrial and
Military Sources. Fourth Edition, Academic
Press, London, UK (1997).
W. W. Nazaroff and A. V. Nero, Radon and
its Decay Products in Indoor Air, John Wiley
and Sons, New York (1988).
Commission recommendation of 20
December 2001 on the protection of the
public against exposure to radon in drinking
water supplies. Official Journal of the
European Communities L344 (2001) 85.
National Academy of Sciences Report. Risk
assessment of radon in drinking water
(Washington, D.C:National Academy Press)
(1999) ISBN 0-309-52474-1.
F. Khan, N. Ali, E. U. Khan, N. U. Khan, N. U.
Khattak and K. Khan. Radiat. Prot. Dosim.
, No. 2 (2010)174
N. Ali, E. U. Khan, P. Akhter, F. Khan and A.
Waheed. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 141, No. 2
(2010) 183.
S. A. Durrani and R. Ilic, Radon
Measurement by Etched Track Detectors.
World Scientific Publishing, Singapore
(1997).
D. L. Henshaw, J. P. Eatough and R. B.
Richardson, Lancet 355 (1990) 1008.
ICRP. International Commission on
Radiological Protection against Radon-222 at
home and at work: ICRP Publication 65
(1993).
EPA, Environmental Protection Agency.
Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes,
Air and Radiation, EPA402-R-03-003 (2003).
GENEVA (Reuters)-The World Health
Organization (WHO), September 23 (2009).
M. Rafique, S. Qayyum, S. Rahman and
Matiullah, Indoor and Built Environment 21,
No. 5 (2012) 718.
M. Rafique, S. U. Rahman, S. U. Rehman, T.
Nasir and Matiullah. Indoor and Built
Environment 20, No. 2 (2011) 259.
M. Rafique, S. U. Rahman, S. Jabeen, M.
Ikram, S. Rahman, S. Bukhari, T. Nasir and
Matiullah. Radioisotopes (Japan) 58, No. 11
(2009) 749.
S. U. Rahman, F. Malik, Matiullah, T. Nasir
and J. Anwar, Indoor and Built Environment
, No. 3 (2012) 452.
M. Rafique, N. Manzoor, S. Rahman, S.U.
Rahman, M.U. Rajput and Matiullah, Iran. J.
Radiat. Res. 10, No. 1 (2012) 19.
M. Rafique, S.U. Rahman, M. Akram and
Matiullah, Journal of Earth and
Environmental Sciences 66, No. 4 (2012)
M. Rafique, F. Malik, Matiullah and M. U.
Rajput, Indoor and Built Environment 21, No.
(2012) 458.
M. Rafique, S. Rahman, S.U. Rahman, M. H.
Rathore, M. Ikram, S. Bukhari, Z. Ali , M.
Waseem, M.U. Rajput and Matiullah. Nucl.
Tech. and Radiat. Prot. 26, No. 3 (2011) 218.
M. Rafique, Matiullah, S. U. Rahman, S.
Rahman, M. Ikram, B. Azam, A. Ahmad, A.
Majid and M.I. Siddique, Carpathian J. of
Earth and Environ. Sci. 6, No. 1 (2011) 133.
M. Faheem, S.U. Rahman, T. Nasir, S.
Rahman and Matiullah, Indoor and Built
Environ. 19, No. 3 (2010) 382.
S. U. Rahman, M. Rafique, Mattiullah and J.
Anwar. J. of Radiat. Res. 50, No. 6 (2009)
M. Rafique, S. Jabeen and M. Ikram, Public
Health Nursing 25, No. 4 (2008) 326.
E. U. Khan, M. Tufail, A. Waheed, Q.N.
Malik, M. Amjad, S.M. Zulqarnain and Z. Arif.
Gomal Univ. J. Res. (B) 13, No. 2 (1993)
T. Nasir and M. Shah, Journal of Basic and
Applied Sciences 8 (2012) 528.
T. Mehdi, T. Mustafa, R. Chaudhry, S. Butt,
A. Hoat, M. Ali, K. Amin and S. Tariq. Profile
of district Dera Ismail Khan with focus on
livelihood related issues. Published by South
Asia Partnership-Pakistan, December (2009).
C. B. Howarth and J. C. H. Miles. Results of
the 2002 NRPB inter-comparison of passive
radon detector, NRPB-W44, Chilton (2002).
