title: Radiological studies in the hot spring region of Mahallat, Central Iran.
abstract: Five hot springs called 'Abegarm-e-Mahallat', located in the central part of Iran, have a mean water temperature of 46 +/- 1 degrees C and are used by visitors as spas. This is an area of high natural radiation background due to the presence of (226)Ra and its decay products in the deposited travertine (CaCO(3)). The mean concentration of (226)Ra in these hot springs, measured by the emanation method, ranged from 0.48 +/- 0.05 to 1.35 +/- 0.13 Bq l(-1). (222)Rn concentrations measured in the hot springs using a liquid scintillation counter ranged from 145 +/- 37 to 2731 +/- 98 Bq l(-1). Mean radon concentrations in air were 487 +/- 160 and 15.4 +/- 2.7 Bq m(-3) for indoor and outdoor, respectively. Radiation levels above that of normal background ( approximately 100 nGy h(-1)) were mainly limited to the Quaternary travertine formations in the vicinity of the hot springs. The results of environmental radiological studies in this region are presented and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Idaho State University, Campus Box 8106, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA. mbeitollahi@physics.isu.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beitollahi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghiassi-Nejad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esmaeli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dunker
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D001417:Background Radiation; D045482:Hot Springs; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011883:Radium; D011886:Radon; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon; D011883:Radium