Radon gas in indoor air of primary schools of Al-Najaf city, Iraq

Abstract

The indoor radon concentration of 100 primary schools in Al-Najaf province, Iraq, was measured to determine students’ and staff's safety in these schools using a CR-39 nuclear track detector based on the sealed can improve technique. The results of indoor radon concentration for all schools vary from (7.47 to 44.84) Bq / m3 with an arithmetic mean (AM) of 22.26 Bq /, while the geometric mean (GM) was 20.67 Bq / m3. The concentration of 222Rn was lower than the worldwide level. Some radiological parameters like annual effective dose (AED), potential alpha energy (PAEC), exposure to radon progeny (EP), and lung cancer cases per year per million people (CPPP) were also determined. The results of these parameters point toward normal levels in the primary schools, according to ICRP, UNCER, and NCRP data.