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Dose distribution to individual tissues and organs due to exposure of alpha energies from radon and thoron to local population of Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, India

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Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to assess dose received by individual tissues or organs of human beings from the exposure of indoor radon (Rn-222), thoron (Rn-220) and their progeny concentrations using single entry pinhole dosimeters and deposition based progeny sensors (DRPS/DTPS). The deployment of dosimeters were carried out in 75 dwellings across Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan, India. Annual and seasonal activity concentrations were monitored based on which dose distribution to various tissues and organs were assessed. The estimated average annual effective dose of the study area is 0.8 mSvy−1, which is lower than the ICRP recommended limit of 4 mSvy−1 (at work place) and 14 mSvy−1 (for residential buildings) (International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in Radiological protection against radon exposure, ICRP, Stockholm, 2018). Consequently, indoor radon may pose no health risk to the local population of the studied area.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate the prodigious efforts of Supriya Rani for her expeditious support to carry out field investigation. The authors express gratitude to the editor and the two anonymous reviewers for their comments on the earlier version of the manuscript. We are also highly thankful to our project collaborator Sandeep Kanse for providing valuable inputs from time to time. A sincere thank you to Shahidah Akbar for her diligent proofreading of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, India

    Amit Kumar Singla & Sandeep Kansal

  2. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, India

    Rohit Mehra

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Amit Kumar Singla and Sandeep Kansal designed the research plan and wrote the manuscript with contributions from Rohit Mehra. Amit Kumar Singla carried out all the radioactive surveys and analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sandeep Kansal.

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Singla, A.K., Kansal, S. & Mehra, R. Dose distribution to individual tissues and organs due to exposure of alpha energies from radon and thoron to local population of Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, India. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 327, 1073–1085 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-07604-3

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