title: Results from time integrated measurements of indoor radon, thoron and their decay product concentrations in schools in the Republic of Macedonia.
abstract: As part of a survey on concentrations of radon, thoron and their decay products in different indoor environments of the Balkan region involving international collaboration, measurements were performed in 43 schools from 5 municipalities of the Republic of Macedonia. The time-integrated radon and thoron gas concentrations (CRn and CTn) were measured by CR-39 (placed in chambers with different diffusion barriers), whereas the equilibrium equivalent radon and thoron concentrations (EERC and EETC) were measured using direct radon-thoron progeny sensors consisting of LR-115 nuclear track detectors. The detectors were deployed at a distance of at least 0.5 m from the walls as well as far away from the windows and doors in order to obtain more representative samples of air from the breathing zone; detectors were exposed over a 3-month period (March-May 2012). The geometric mean (GM) values [and geometric standard deviations (GSDs)] of CRn, CTn, EERC and EETC were 76 (1.7), 12 (2.3), 27 (1.4) and 0.75 Bq m(-3) (2.5), respectively. The equilibrium factors between radon and its decay products (FRn) and thoron and its decay products (FTn (>0.5 m)) were evaluated: FRn ranged between 0.10 and 0.84 and FTn (>0.5 m) ranged between 0.003 and 0.998 with GMs (and GSDs) equal to 0.36 (1.7) and 0.07 (3.4), respectively.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, Goce Delcev University, Stip, Republic of Macedonia stojanovskazdenka@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Zdenka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Stojanovska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Science, Vinca, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Zora S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Zunic
authors.affiliation: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (German Federal Office for Radiation Protection), Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bossew
authors.affiliation: Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bochicchio
authors.affiliation: Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carpentieri
authors.affiliation: Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Venoso
authors.affiliation: Radiological Physics & Advisory Division (RPAD), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Rosaline
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: Radiological Physics & Advisory Division (RPAD), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Rout
authors.affiliation: Radiological Physics & Advisory Division (RPAD), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Sapra
authors.affiliation: Environmental Radioactivity and Nuclear Dating Center, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Bety D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Burghele
authors.affiliation: Environmental Radioactivity and Nuclear Dating Center, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cucoş-Dinu
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mining, Geology and Polytechnic, Goce Delcev University, Stip, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Blazo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boev
authors.affiliation: Environmental Radioactivity and Nuclear Dating Center, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cosma
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D062305:Geographic Mapping; D006801:Humans; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011874:Radiometry; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D018843:Republic of North Macedonia; D012574:Schools; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon