Indoor radon concentration in hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon pertaining areas across the Main Boundary Thrust in Attock district of Pakistan

Abstract

The areas pertaining the hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon in the Attock district of Pakistan were selected for the measurement of indoor radon concentration. This area was not previously surveyed for such kind of study. CR-39-based NRPB radon dosimeters were utilized for this study. Attock city, Hassan Abdal and Jand belong to the non-hydrocarbon areas, where radon concentration was measured to be 57 ± 11, 58 ± 11 and 56 ± 11 Bq m−3, respectively. The hydrocarbon pertaining areas consist of Toot and Meyal villages, the concentration of radon was found to be 48 ± 10 and 37 ± 8 Bq m−3, respectively. The cap rock in the geological structures of the hydrocarbon areas may have restricted the migration of underneath radon. The annual effective dose in the studied locations was estimated to be 1.28 ± 0.25 mSv y−1, which is less than the action level recommended by the ICRP. Estimated excess lung cancer risks per million persons per year in the surveyed area show higher values 96, 69, 32–110 and 41–124 as compared to the world average reported by the BEIR-IV (1988), ICRP (1987), US-EPA (1986) and UNSCEAR (1993) models, respectively. Present results could be used as a reference for any future studies in Pakistan for the problems of radon emissions with respect to the types of rocks.