A re-evaluation of the occupancy factors for effective dose estimate in tropical environment.
In the estimation of the effective dose to the public, outdoor and indoor occupancy factors have been an important parameter. These factors vary, depending on the prevailing environmental condition in a particular location. The factors have been estimated for the rural and urban areas in Nigeria. An outdoor factor of 0.3 and 0.22 have been estimated for rural and urban dwellers, respectively. The rural outdoor factor is 50% above the value recommended as the world average by the UNSCEAR. The urban outdoor factor is 10% higher than this value. The total outdoor gamma dose rate in the air due to (40)K, (238)U and (232)Th in the soil for some rural population in the southern part of Nigeria is 29.50 +/- 3.80 nGy h(-1) and the average outdoor effective dose has been estimated to be 54.28 +/- 6.95 microSv y(-1) using the present occupancy factor.
Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, P. M. B. 704, Akure, Nigeria. arogmuyi@yahoo.com
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D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019371:Topography, Medical / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D014330:Tropical Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards
D004785:Environmental Pollutants