Radon exhalation rate measurement in the environment of Hassan district of southern India

Abstract

The radon exhalation rate from soil and building materials collected from the Hassan district of southern India was studied by the sealed can technique. The surface exhalation rates of the building materials were found to vary from 13.07 ± 0.19 to 430 ± 9 mBq m^–2 h^–1 with a mean value of 141 ± 4 mBq m^–2 h^–1. The surface exhalation rates of the soil samples were found to vary from 36.5 ± 0.8 mBq m^–2 h^–1 to 376 ± 7 mBq m^–2 h^–1 with a mean value of 140 ± 4 mBq m^–2 h^–1. Good positive correlation was observed between the effective radium content and radon exhalation rate for both soil and building materials. Annual effective dose and α-index have also been estimated for the population of the region.