Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
orgInternationalJournalofEnvironmentandResource(IJER)Volume2Issue2,May2013
EffectsofFloorLevelsandVentilationRate
onIndoorRadonanditsProgenyinsideIraqi
KurdistanHospitals
ZakariyaA.Hussein1,MohamadS.Jaafar2,AsaadH.Ismail3
RadiationandMedicalPhysics,SchoolofPhysics,UniversitiSainsMalaysia,11800,PulauPenang,Malaysia
MedicalPhysics,PhysicsDepartment,EducationCollege,SalahaddinUniversityErbil,44002,KurdistanRegion,
RAQ
1zekishtayin@yahoo.com,2msj@usm.my,3asadhawlery@hotmail.com
1,2
3
Abstract
Keywords
CR39NTDs;IndoorRadon;LungCancer
Themostsignificantcharacteristicoftheradon222gas
is the four shortlived progeny products from
polonium218 (218Po) to polonium214 (214Po), which,
shortly after their formation get attached themselves
toaerosolparticles.However,asmallfractionofthese
particlesremainsinanunattachedform,dependingon
themovementoftheairmass,whichinturndepends
on the installed ventilation systems (Ismail A H.
Indoor,2010).
Introduction
Exposure to radon in home is responsible for an
estimated20,000lungcancerdeathseachyear.Radon
is a health hazard with a simple solution. It is a
naturally occurring radioactive gas that originates
fromthedecayofuranium.Duetoitsrelativelylonger
halflifeof3.82days,themostconcernedradonisotope
is 222Rn(DurraniSA.Radon,1993)whichdecaysand
44
InternationalJournalofEnvironmentandResource(IJER)Volume2Issue2,May2013www.ijer.org
Spongemembrane
Hole
1cm
h=7cm
CR39
r=3cm
FIG.2SKETCHMAPOFTHEAREAUNDERSTDUY(KURDISTAN
REGION)
FIG.1SCHEMATICDIAGRAMOFTHEOPTIMUMRADON.
TheschematicdiagramofthechamberisshowninFig.
2. The technique used in this survey is based on CR
39NTDs (Moulding, UK, manufactures the detectors),
withareaof1.51.5cm2whichisfixedbydoublestick
tapeatthebottomofthedosimeter.
F=aexp(bDo/D)(2)
DandDOrepresentsthetrackdensities(track/cm2.day)
of the open (D: without filter) and closed (Do: with a
filter)cantechniquerespectively.Thevaluesoftwo
constant a= 14.958 and b= 7.436 and CRn is the 222 Rn
concentrations (Bq/m3) which can be obtained by
relation
Inthecover,thereisaholecoveredwitha5mmthick
soft sponge. The design of the chamber ensures that
the aerosol particles and radon decay products are
depositedonthespongefromoutsideandonlyradon,
among other gases, diffusing through it to the
sensitivevolumeofthechamber.Thedosimetershave
been distributed inside 8 government hospitals in
threemainregions(Erbil,DuhokandSulaymaniya)in
CRn=Do/K(3)
Where,Kisthedetectorsensitivity(K=0.23track.cm2
perBq.m3)obtainedfromthecalibrationexperimentin
45
www.ijer.orgInternationalJournalofEnvironmentandResource(IJER)Volume2Issue2,May2013
H=CFOTD..(4)
Where C is the radon concentration in Bq.m3, F
equilibrium factor, O for occupancy factor (0.8)
(UNSCEAR.Sources,(2000).,Tfortime(8760h.y1)and
Dfordoseconversionfactor(9x106mSv.h1(Bq.m3)1).
Theeffectivedose(HinunitsmSv/y)ofradonandits
progeny, can be calculate from the following relation
(UNSCEAR.Sources,(2000).
TABLE1RADONCONCENTRATION,EQUILIBRIUMFACTOR,PAECANDANNUALEFFECTIVEDOSEINSIDE
HOSPITALSOFIRAQIKURDISTANREGION.
Regions
Erbil
Duhok
Sulaymaniya
Equilibrium
Factor(F)
Hospital
PAEC
(mwL)
Annualeffective
dose(mSv/y)
Radon
Concentration
(Bq.m3)
Rizgary
0.3070.079
4.410.93
1.190.13
54.046.08
Emergencywest
0.3110.077
4.340.83
1.160.07
52.34.39
ErbilTeaching
0.3600.01
4.660.36
1.10.08
48.023.77
Paediatric
0.3640.001
5.930.61
1.380.14
60.386.34
AzadiTeaching
0.370.003
6.530.52
1.520.13
65.365.07
EmergencyTeaching
0.3620.009
5.770.55
1.340.12
59.054.49
ShahidAso
0.3680.005
7.060.32
1.640.07
71.094.32
ShorshGeneral
0.3640.002
6.650.42
1.540.09
67.564.05
TABLE2GEOLOGICALFORMATIONOFIRAQIKURDISTANREGIONASRELALITEDSTUDY
Governorate
Hospitals
Geologicalformation
Rizgary
Erbil
Regionconsistsoftheplainsandhills.Itconsistsofsandstone,
limestoneandshale
Emergencywest
ErbilTeaching
Maternityandteaching
AzadiTeaching
Duhok
Regionconsistsoftheplains,sedimentlogicalandmountains.Itconsists
ofmarlylimestone,calcareniteshale,sandlylimestoneand
conglomerate
EmergencyTeaching
ShahidDr.Aso
Sulaymaniya
RegionconsistsoftheRockyMountainsandvalleys.Itconsistsofrocks,
limestone,conglomerate,biogeniclimestone,pebbly,calcareniteand
sandstone
ShorshGeneral
TABLE3INDOORRADONCONCENTRATIONANDANNUALEFFECTIVEDOSEFORDIFFERENT
FLOORSININSIDEHOSPITALSINIRAQIKURDISTANREGION.
RadonConcentration(Bq.m3)
Hospitals
Rizgary
(Erbil)
Azadi
Teaching
(Duhok)
ShahidAso
(Sulaymany)
46
Min
Max
Min
Max
Ground
56.990.22
61.580.62
59.342.23
1.280.016
1.320.032
1.30.098
First
53.290.14
Second
44.550.44
57.390.34
55.392.05
1.120.022
1.260.024
1.240.068
49.650.82
47.42.61
1.010.028
1.080.018
1.040.086
Ground
67.160.34
73.640.44
70.222.98
1.560.022
1.680.032
1.650.092
First
63.890.52
68.160.62
65.792.64
1.460.042
1.540.012
1.510.064
Levels
Average
Annualeffectivedose(mSv/y)
Average
Second
57.720.58
62.280.84
60.092.24
1.360.042
1.440.028
140.078
Ground
72.340.45
79.010.64
75.532.86
1.660.023
1.740.42
1.720.092
First
68.330.26
73.720.48
70.822.64
1.590.042
1.650.032
1.640.068
Second
64.440.12
69.760.56
66.942.28
1.540.012
1.580.018
1.570.082
InternationalJournalofEnvironmentandResource(IJER)Volume2Issue2,May2013www.ijer.org
Ontheotherhand,Fig.4showsacombinationrelation
of annual effective dose and indoor radon
concentrationinsideeightgovernmenthospitals.
FIG.5VARIATIONOFRADONCONCENTRATIONWITH
FLOORLEVELSINSHAHIDDr.ASOHOSPITAL
Itisclearthattheaverageindoorradonconcentration
decreasesasthefloorlevelincreasesandthisvariation
maybeattributedtohowcloseorhowfartheflooris
from ground since soil represents the main source of
indoor radon in addition to many other reasons such
asthefactthatupperfloorsarebetterventilatedthan
lower floors exposed to dust and other forms of
contaminations
FIG.3DISTRIBUTIONOFRADONCONCENTRATIONINSIDE
GOVERNMENTHOSPITALSINIRAQIKURDISTAN
Conclusion
Floor levels and geological formation of the Iraqi
Kurdistanhospitalshadaffectontheconcentrationsof
indoorradonanditsprogenyLocationsoftheselected
hospitals had different geological formation in three
main governorates: Erbil, Duhok and Sulaymaniya.
Nuclear track detector type CR39 has been used to
measure track density of alpha particles that emitted
fromradonanditsprogenyduringspringseason.The
present study consisted of two main parts; the first
was the effect of the geological formation on indoor
radonconcentration,whichhasbeeninvestigated.The
highest and lowest radon concentration were in the
hospitalsofShaheedAso(Sulaymaniyacity:mountain
FIG.4DISTRIBUTIONOFANNUALEFFECTIVEDOSE
INSIDEHOPITALSOFIRAQIKURDISTAN
47
www.ijer.orgInternationalJournalofEnvironmentandResource(IJER)Volume2Issue2,May2013
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
IsmailAHandJaafarMS..Indoorradonconcentrationand
its health risks in selected locations in Iraqi Kurdistan
Theauthorsdeeplythankallthestaffsandpatientsin
selected hospitals in Iraqi Kurdistan for their
informationandagoodcooperation.
REFERENCES
AbMurad
K.
AlTamimi,
Kurdistan:(KAJ)KurdistanAcademiciansJournal,4(1)
M.H.,Natural
partAp.1939,2004.
RadiationMeasurement,39,7780,2005.
RamachandranTV.CalibrationofaCR39plastictrack
DurraniSA.Radonasahealthhazardathome:Whatarethe
daughtersindwellings,1990.
22(14)p.303317,1993.
EPA(EnvironmentalProtectionAgency).Consumersguide
toradonreduction;Howtofixyourhome.EPA.402/K
10/005,2010.
MutationResearch.411p.129178,1998.
ICRP(InternationalCommissiononRadiologicalProtection).
41.Ann.ICRP.14,1984.
Hungary.J.ofRadioanalyticalandNuclearChemistry.
279(1)p.219225,2009.
LowRadiation.7(3)p.175187,2010.
p.1882.2000.
48