TITLE:
Radiological Risk Assessment for Exposure to Indoor Radon in North of Jordan
AUTHORS:
Ahmad Hussein Alomari, Fernando P. Carvalho, Rabie A. Abu Saleem, Muneer Aziz Saleh, Amal Alsayaheen, Refaat Bani Khalaf, Alaa Jaffal, Gennaro Venoso, Salah Alnjadat, Amjed Hijjawi, Khalid Alqadhi, Amani Sharaf
KEYWORDS:
Indoor Radon, Geology, Radon Mapping, Lifetime Cancer Risk, E-PERM
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.13 No.3,
March
13,
2025
ABSTRACT: Measurements of indoor radon concentrations were performed using electret passive radon monitors (E-PERM) in 69 dwellings in the northern part of Jordan. The average indoor radon activity concentrations in dwellings varied from 4 Bq·m−3 to 961 Bq·m−3 with a mean value of 86 Bq·m−3. The annual effective dose for dwellings’ inhabitants due to radon inhalation ranged from 0.7 mSv to 2.1 mSv with a mean value of 2 mSv, higher than the world average value of 1.2 mSv. The overall annual mean effective dose rate from radon and its decay progenies was calculated to generate an excess lifetime fatal cancer risk of around 7 × 10−3. The effect of geological formations on indoor radon concentrations was assessed using the one-way analysis of variance method (ANOVA) which showed a significant correlation between indoor radon concentrations and the geological formations underneath the dwellings. The lowest mean value of indoor radon concentration by lithogy was 30 Bq·m−3 corresponding to dwellings built on a Quaternary sediments, whereas Cretaceous geological formations with limestone lithologies showed a much higher mean value of indoor radon concentration of 110 Bq·m−3. A radon potential map was produced. This map is a first step towards mapping indoor radon concentrations nationwide in Jordan.