Levels of natural radioactivity in environment in residential area of Moradabad District, Western Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Indoor radon and thoron have been measured in the houses of<br />Moradabad District, Uttar Pradesh India, by means of solid state nuclear track<br />detectors. Radon, an invisible radioactive gas, occurs naturally in indoor<br />atmospheres and along with thoron is the most important contribution of human<br />exposure to natural sources. Radon exists in soil gas building materials and indoor<br />atmosphere to name but a few. Risk of lung cancer depends on the concentration<br />of radon and thoron and their decay products in the environment above<br />recommended levels. The present article measures the concentration of indoor<br />radon and thoron in 60 dosimeters by means of a solid state nuclear track detector<br />in different house types of Moradabad district, Uttar Pradesh. The measurements<br />have been carried out in residential buildings at a height of 2 m from the sea level,<br />using a twin chamber radon dosimeter. The value of radon concentration in the<br />present study varies between 10.5 Bq/m3 and 29.5 Bq/m3 with an average of 19.8<br />Bq/m3 while that of thoron is between 5.6 Bq/m3 and 24 Bq/m3 with an average of<br />14.9 Bq/m3 respectively. Results, obtained with twin cup radon/thoron dosimeter,<br />show that the concentration of indoor radon and thoron have been within the<br />recommended level, with all the values staying under the safe limits, decreed by<br />the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and United<br />Nations Scientific Committee on the Effect of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR).