title: Indoor radon concentration measurement in the dwellings of district Poonch (Azad Kashmir), Pakistan.
abstract: The present study deals with measurement of indoor radon concentrations in dwellings of the district Poonch of the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. In this context, CR-39-based box-type radon detectors were installed in drawing rooms and bedrooms of 80 selected houses and were exposed to indoor radon for 3 months. After exposure, the CR-39 detectors were etched for 9 h in 6 mol NaOH at 70 degrees C and the observed track densities were related to radon concentrations. Measured indoor radon concentrations in the studied area ranged from 27 +/- 6 to 169 +/- 4, 29 +/- 6 to 196 +/- 4 and 31 +/- 5 to 142 +/- 2 Bq m(-3) in the drawing rooms and 74 +/- 5 to 172 +/- 3, 32 +/- 6 to 191 +/- 4 and 27 +/- 5 to 155 +/- 2 Bq m(-3) in bedrooms of the Abbaspur, Hajira and Rawalakot regions of the district Poonch, respectively; whereas weighted average radon concentration ranged from 93 +/- 6 to 159 +/- 4, 33 +/- 5 to 118 +/- 3 and 31 +/- 6 to 155 +/- 5 Bq m(-3) in the dwellings of Abbaspur, Hajira and Rawalakot, respectively. Estimated doses due to the indoor radon ranged from 2.35 +/- 0.15 to 4.00 +/- 0.10, 0.83 +/- 0.08 to 2.98 +/- 0.08 and 0.78 +/- 0.15 to 3.91 +/- 0.13 mSv y(-1) for Abbaspur, Rawalakot and Hajira, respectively. Comparing the current indoor radon results with those of the Health Protection Agency UK and US EPA (i.e. 200 and 148 Bq m(-3)) limits, majority of the houses surveyed in the present study are within the safe limits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. rafi_722002@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rafique
authors.forename: Said
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: S U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Shahida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jabeen
authors.forename: M Ikram
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Shahzad
authors.forename: Mumtaz H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rathore
authors.lastname: Matiullah
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D000398:Air Pollution, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D010154:Pakistan; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011886:Radon