Radon exhalation rates from some building construction materials using SSNTDs

Radon appears mainly by diffusion processes from the point of origin following α- decay of 226Ra in underground soil and building materials used. in the construction of floors, walls, and ceilings. In dwellings main source of radon are soil or rock underneath, building materials and portable water supplies. The major release of radon indoors is from building construction materials used. The radon measurements on the ground can give a clue about the hidden uranium. The exposure of population to high concentrations of radon and its daughters for a long period leads to pathological effects like the respiratory functional changes and the occurrence of lung cancer. In the present investigations radon exhalation rates from some soil and other building materials like fly ash, cement and sand collected from Panchkula, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Panipat districts of Haryana have been estimated. For the measurement of radon concentration in these samples we used α-sensitive LR-115 type II plastic track detectors. The mass and the surface exhalation rates of radon emanated from these samples have also been calculated. The aim of study is the possible health risk assessment due to emission of radiation from building construction materials. (author)