Assessment of radiological risk associated with thoron gas at primary schools in Al-Najaf city, Iraq

• Published in: Applied radiation and isotopes 2024-03, Vol.205, p.111154-111154, Article 111154
• Main Authors: Dosh, Rukia Jaber, Abojassim, Ali Abid
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Al-Najaf city; Annual effective dose; CR-39 detector; Pin-hole dosimeter method; Primary schools; Thoron
• ISSN: 0969-8043; 1872-9800
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.111154

Children spend considerable time at home and school, so school is likely to be a second source of natural radionuclide exposure after home. This study evaluates the radiological risk associated with thoron gas in the air within the building of one hundred primary schools in Al-Najaf City, Iraq, using a CR-39 detector. The results of the average value of thoron concentration detector, the annual effective dose (AED), Excessive Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) × 10−3, and Lung Cancer Case (LCC) × 10−9 measured in the building of the schools were 7.47 ± 2.85 Bq/m3, 0.03 ± 0.01 mSv/y, 0.11 ± 0.04, and 0.54 ± 0.20, respectively. All the results of indoor thoron were below the global average limit. The results of the radiological survey due to thoron concentrations for studied primary schools suggest that the radionuclides and their radiological hazard indexes in all studied schools in AL Najaf city, Iraq, do not impose a health hazard. •Evaluate thoron (220Rn) levels in air of buildings of selected locations in the school, Al-Najaf city, Iraq.•Assess radiological hazard indices associated with the school samples.•Compare the determined activity level with results obtained from similar studies in other parts of the world.•To access the Environmental impact of prevalent radionuclides in the study area.•Evaluate the safety levels of each radionuclide to humans and animals in the Environment.