Measurement of the Indoor Radon Concentration from Different Building Materials Using CR-39 Nuclear Track Detectors and the Associated Annual Effective Dose Determination

Abstract

This work presents experimental results concerning the radon concentration from different building materials used for construction of houses in the municipality of Bihac. The passive technique using nuclear track detectors C-39 was used for a period for three months. The highest and lowest radon concentration was found in concrete brick buildings 280±5 Bqm-3 and in stone buildings 122±1 Bqm-3. It depends on the radioactive content of the materials, emanation coefficient and diffusion coefficient of radon in that material, porosity and density of the material. The mean annual effective dose was 3.26 mSv/y. The results obtained also give a correlation between indoor radon levels and the associated level of risk.