Indoor Radon Concentration Measurements in Four Hospitals and Two Health Centers in Nablus City

Indoor radon concentration has been measured in four hospitals (AL-—Watani, AL- Ethad,- Rafedia, AL -Enjeli) and two health centers (Mustwasf AL —Tadamon, Mustwasf AL-Rahma) in Nablus City. Forty-six solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) and fourteen kodalpha detectors were distributed in various locations among the four hospitals and the two health centers. Four SSNTDs and one-kodalpha detectors were lost. The SSNTDs detectors were etched in 6.25N NaOH at 98 ± 2 C° for about one hour and read under an optical microscope with magnification 100. The kodalpha detectors were read by the manufacturer in France. Indoor radon concentrations were calculated by using two calibration factors (5.3 ± 0.5) and (6.68 ± 0.02) and compared with the values obtained from the kodalpha detectors. The results that were calculated by our calibration factor (6.68 ± 0.2) present high correlation with those obtained from kodalpha detectors. The single values of radon concentrations of the calibration factor (6.68 ± 0.02) are more comparable, than those calculated by using the calibration factor (5.3± 0.5), with those obtained nom using the kodalpha detectors. According to the results obtained from the calibration factor (6.68 ± 0.02) radon concentration vary considerably from about 11 to 154 Bq m⁻³ in AL—Watani, 4 to 200 Bq m⁻³ in AL—Ethad, 6 to 287 Bq ni`3 in Rafedia, 12 to 35 Bq m⁻³ in AL —Enjeli, 14 to 96 Bq m⁻³ in AL—Tadamon, and 32 to 54 Bq rn'3 in AL-Rahma. The average radon concentration is found to be 61.21 Bq m⁻³; in AL -—Watani, 33.28 Bq m⁻³ in AL~Etl1ad, 92.03 Bq m⁻³ in Rafedia 23.85 Bq m⁻³ in AL -Enjeli, 55.19 m⁻³ in AL -Tadamon and 45.84 Bq m⁻³ in AL-Rahma. On the basis of these values, the average of lifetime risk of radon induced lung cancer are, respectively, 6.19 x 10⁴, 3.26 x 10⁴, 9.29 x 10⁴, 2.41 x 10⁴ , 5.57 x 10⁴ and 4.63 x 10⁴ in AL-Watani, AL—Ethad, Rafedia, AL—Enjeli, AL—Tadamon and AL—Ral1ma. In terms of dose equivalent these average radon concentrations correspond to the effective dose equivalent of 3.6, 1.66, 4.60, 1.19, 2.76 hand 2.29 mSv/y, respectively. Except in AL—Enjeli tl1ese doses are higher than the global value of 1.3 mSv/y. Radon concentration results indicate that in some rooms the values exceed the 150 Bq m⁻³ which need remedial action.