Variation of outdoor radon levels and gamma radiation with respect to meteorological parameter at BARC, Vizag

Hourly outdoor radon concentration along with meteorological parameters were measured at eight locations in and around BARC, Vizag using radon monitoring system (Alpha Guard, Genitron make). The geometric means of outdoor radon levels were found to be in the range of 4-22 Bqm-3. The diurnal variation of outdoor radon concentration observed at each location indicates a possible dependence on the meteorological parameters. A build up of 2-16 fold is observed in early morning hours in outdoor radon concentration. The radon concentration is found to increase with increase in relative humidity. The radon concentration was also found to be inversely related to the atmospheric temperature with minimum radon concentration during afternoon hours, when the temperature was maximum. Similarly maximum radon concentration was observed in the early morning hours, when the temperature was minimum. Gamma radiation levels were also measured at eight locations in and around BARC, Vizag. The arithmetic means of gamma radiation observed in these locations were found to vary from 139-266 nGyh-1. The gamma radiation levels observed these locations were found to be independent of temperature and humidity for the measurement period of this study. (author)