A Study on Radon Gas and Lung Cancer Incidence in Indoor Environment in Oman

Dr. K. H. Jonathan, Dr. P. Suvarna Raju

Indoor air pollution is a growing health concern in the present urbanized world caused by increased use of radioactive materials. Many studies are being done to estimate and identify the sources of radioactive energy and its incidence in the indoor environment and subsequent implications on the human health. Radon is a color and odorless gas and enters indoor environments from ground surfaces and concentrates over time in absence of ventilation and the release from the soil varies on many ambient factors that changes temporally and spatially. The indoor concentrations of radon gas have serious effect on health and results in cancer among humans from the long-term exposure. The paper emphasizes to analyze the impact of radon gas in indoor and outdoor locations in Muscat region and compare the emissions with other GCC countries. Experiments are done at three stages using equipment by choosing some prominent building locations in Muscat region to estimate the indoor and outdoor levels of radon gas and consequently assess the implications. Gamma ray spectrometers are employed to detect the radiation from the chosen locations and the values recorded. The investigation reveals significant amounts of radon gas detected in comparison with other Arab countries in GCC but substantially less from developed countries. The study shows the concentration and presence of radon gas in indoor habitats relates to construction materials and the level of ventilation. The results indicate that radon gas concentrations during the study showed fluctuating intensities weekly with generous changes during each week.