Does natural gas increase the indoor radon levels?

The natural gas is naturally occurring hydrocarbon which consists mainly of methane and includes varying amounts of other hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and other impurities such as: nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide. It is used domestically and industrially as a preferable energy source compared to coal...

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Main Authors: H. A. Abdel-Ghany, D. H. Shabaan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute for Nuclear Research, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2015-10-01
Series:Ядерна фізика та енергетика
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Online Access:http://jnpae.kinr.kiev.ua/16.3/html/16.3.0310.html
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author H. A. Abdel-Ghany
D. H. Shabaan
author_facet H. A. Abdel-Ghany
D. H. Shabaan
author_sort H. A. Abdel-Ghany
collection DOAJ
description The natural gas is naturally occurring hydrocarbon which consists mainly of methane and includes varying amounts of other hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and other impurities such as: nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide. It is used domestically and industrially as a preferable energy source compared to coal and oil. Because natural gas is found in deep underground natural formations or associated with other underground hydrocarbon reservoirs, there is a potential to contain radon as a contaminant. This work was designated to measure indoor radon concentrations in dwellings supplied with natural gas compared with those not supplied with it, where radon level was estimated using solid state nuclear track detectors (CR-39). The results showed that radon concentration was significantly higher in dwellings supplied with natural gas, where it was 252.30 versus 136.19 Bq ⋅ m-3 in dwelling not supplied with natural gas (P < 0.001). The mean values of radon exhalation rate was 0.02 ± 6.34 ⋅ 10-4 Bq ⋅ m-2 ⋅ h-1 in dwellings supplied with natural gas and 0.01 ± 0.008 Bq ⋅ m-2 ⋅ h-1 in dwellings lacking it. In addition, a significant difference was observed in the mean annual effective doses (4.33 and 2.34 mSv ⋅ y-1, respectively) between both groups. Conclusively, the data indicate that natural gas may represent a potential source of indoor radon.
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2074-0565
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spelling doaj-art-bc132ce5464b43bba26a7ffaef9e67a52025-08-20T02:00:18ZengInstitute for Nuclear Research, National Academy of Sciences of UkraineЯдерна фізика та енергетика1818-331X2074-05652015-10-01163310315Does natural gas increase the indoor radon levels?H. A. Abdel-Ghany0D. H. Shabaan 1Physics Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt Physics Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt The natural gas is naturally occurring hydrocarbon which consists mainly of methane and includes varying amounts of other hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and other impurities such as: nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide. It is used domestically and industrially as a preferable energy source compared to coal and oil. Because natural gas is found in deep underground natural formations or associated with other underground hydrocarbon reservoirs, there is a potential to contain radon as a contaminant. This work was designated to measure indoor radon concentrations in dwellings supplied with natural gas compared with those not supplied with it, where radon level was estimated using solid state nuclear track detectors (CR-39). The results showed that radon concentration was significantly higher in dwellings supplied with natural gas, where it was 252.30 versus 136.19 Bq ⋅ m-3 in dwelling not supplied with natural gas (P < 0.001). The mean values of radon exhalation rate was 0.02 ± 6.34 ⋅ 10-4 Bq ⋅ m-2 ⋅ h-1 in dwellings supplied with natural gas and 0.01 ± 0.008 Bq ⋅ m-2 ⋅ h-1 in dwellings lacking it. In addition, a significant difference was observed in the mean annual effective doses (4.33 and 2.34 mSv ⋅ y-1, respectively) between both groups. Conclusively, the data indicate that natural gas may represent a potential source of indoor radon.http://jnpae.kinr.kiev.ua/16.3/html/16.3.0310.htmlnatural gasradon concentrationradon exhalation ratenuclear track detectorsannual effective dose
spellingShingle H. A. Abdel-Ghany
D. H. Shabaan
Does natural gas increase the indoor radon levels?
Ядерна фізика та енергетика
natural gas
radon concentration
radon exhalation rate
nuclear track detectors
annual effective dose
title Does natural gas increase the indoor radon levels?
title_full Does natural gas increase the indoor radon levels?
title_fullStr Does natural gas increase the indoor radon levels?
title_full_unstemmed Does natural gas increase the indoor radon levels?
title_short Does natural gas increase the indoor radon levels?
title_sort does natural gas increase the indoor radon levels
topic natural gas
radon concentration
radon exhalation rate
nuclear track detectors
annual effective dose
url http://jnpae.kinr.kiev.ua/16.3/html/16.3.0310.html
work_keys_str_mv AT haabdelghany doesnaturalgasincreasetheindoorradonlevels
AT dhshabaan doesnaturalgasincreasetheindoorradonlevels