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Indoor radon in Tunisian spas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 September 2012

S. Labidi ,
Darwish Al-azmi  and
R. Ben Salah
S. Labidi
Affiliation:
Institut Supérieur des Technologies Médicales de Tunis (ISTM), 9 avenue du Docteur Z. Essafi, Tunis 1006, Tunisia. e-mail: labidisalam@yahoo.fr
Darwish Al-azmi
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Sciences, College of Technological Studies, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, P.O. Box 42325, 70654 Shuwaikh, Kuwait; email: ds.alazmi@paaet.edu.kw
R. Ben Salah
Affiliation:
Faculté de Médecine de Sousse. 270, Sahloul II, 4054 Sousse, Tunisia
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Abstract

Indoor radon concentrations were measured in four well-known spas of Tunisia using nuclear track detectors. The radon concentrations in these spas were found to be in the range of 19 - 870 Bq.m-3. The equilibrium factor F between radon and its progeny was found to vary in the range of 0.2 - 0.5, depending upon the ventilation rates within the buildings of the spas. Using the exposure-dose conversion factor, the effective doses to patients and workers were estimated and the dose was found to vary in the range 3.7 × 10-3 - 12.5 × 10-3 mSv.y-1 and 0.45 - 1.5 mSv.y-1 for patients and workers, respectively. These values are well inside the limit recommended for the annual dose limit of 20 mSv.y-1 for an occupational worker. The radium content in the groundwater of all four spas was measured and the results showed no correlation between the 226Ra concentration in water and radon concentration in indoor air of the investigated spas.

Keywords

radonhydrotherapy centerseffective doseequilibrium factorTunisia
Type
Research Article
Information
Radioprotection , Volume 47 , Issue 3 , July 2012 , pp. 361 - 373
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2012

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