Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2pzkn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-01T05:17:31.154Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Radon in elementary schools in Tunisia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 June 2010

S. Labidi ,
D. Al-Azmi ,
H. Mahjoubi  and
R. Ben Salah
S. Labidi
Affiliation:
Institut Supérieur des Technologies Médicales de Tunis (ISTMT), 9 avenue du docteur Z. Essafi, Tunis 1006, Tunisia. . e-mail: labidisalam@yahoo.fr
D. Al-Azmi
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Sciences, College of Technological Studies, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, PO Box 42325, 70654 Shuwaikh, Kuwait. ; e-mail: ds.alazmi@paaet.edu.kw / dalazmi@yahoo.co.uk
H. Mahjoubi
Affiliation:
Institut Supérieur des Technologies Médicales de Tunis (ISTMT), 9 avenue du docteur Z. Essafi, Tunis 1006, Tunisia. . e-mail: labidisalam@yahoo.fr
R. Ben Salah
Affiliation:
Faculté de Médecine de Sousse, 270 Sahloul II, 4054 Sousse, Tunisia.
Get access

Abstract

Indoor radon measurements were carried out in 30 elementary schools in Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia, during the winter months of December 2008 to early March 2009. Two classrooms, one each from ground floor and first floor were chosen from each school making a total of 60 classrooms. In some of the classrooms, two detectors (open and closed) were used to measure the concentrations of radon as well as radon and its progeny to allow the calculations of the equilibrium factors. Nuclear track detectors type LR-115 (Kodalpha) were used for the measurements. The results show that the radon concentration levels are low in the range of 6–169 Bq m-3 with a mean value of 26.9 Bq m-3. The annual effective dose was found to vary between 0.025–0.715 mSv y-1 for teachers while the range for pupils was from 0.019–0.525 mSv y-1. These values are within the ICPR recommended values.

Keywords

radon measurementselementary schoolseffective doseequilibrium factorTunisTunisia
Type
Article
Information
Radioprotection , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 209 - 217
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Al-Mosa T.M.A. (2007) Indoor Radon Concentration in Kindergartens, Play- and Elementary Schools in Zulfy City (Saudi Arabia), MSc. Thesis, Department of Physics and Astronomy at the College of Science - King Saud University; October 2007.
Bem, H., Bem, E.M., Ostrowska, M. (1999) Radon Concentrations in Kindergartens and Schools in the Lód-Region of Poland, Rad. Prot. Dosim. 82, 147-149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
El May, M.V., Chahed, N., Mtimet, S. (2004) Radon concentrations in some dwellings of Tunisia, Health Phys. 86, 150-154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
EPA (1993) United States Environmental Protection. Radon Measurement in Schools, EPA 402-R-92-014.
ICRP Publication 65 (1993) Protection against radon-222 at home and at work, Ann. ICRP 23(2).
Khan, A.J. (2000) A study of indoor radon levels in Indian dwellings, influencing factors and lung cancer risks, Rad. Meas. 32, 87-92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kullab, M.K., Al-Bataina, B.A., Ismail, A.M., Abumurad, K.M., Ghaith, A. (1997) Study of radon-222 concentration levels inside kindergartens in Amman, Rad. Meas. 28, 699-702.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maged, A.F. (2006) Radon concentrations in elementary schools in Kuwait, Health Phys. 90, 258-262.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malanca, A., Gaidolfi, L., Fava, R. (1997) Natural radioactivity in kindergartens and play schools of Parma, Italy, Environm. Int. 23, 541-546.Google Scholar
NCRP (1984) National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Evaluation of occupational and environmental exposure to radon and radon daughters, Rapport No. 78.
Oikawa, S., Kanno, N., Sanada, T., Abukawa, J., Higuchi, H. (2006) A survey of indoor workplace radon concentration in Japan, J. Environm. Rad. 87, 239-245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Papaefthymiou, H., Georgiou, C.D. (2007) Indoor radon levels in primary schools of Patras, Greece, Rad. Prot. Dosim. 124, 172-176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pearce, J., Boyle, P. (2005) Examining the relationship between lung cancer and radon in small areas across Scotland, Health & Place 11, 275-282.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
UNSCEAR (2000) United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, Report to the General Assembly, Vol. 1, Annex B.
Vaupotic, J. (2002) Identification of sources of high radon levels in Slovenian schools, Rad. Prot. Dosim. 102, 75-80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed