Assessment of Effective Dose Equivalent from Internal Exposure to 222Rn in Ramsar City

Introduction In this study, effective dose equivalent for the public due to internal exposure to 222radon (222Rn) was evaluated in three regions of Ramsar, a northern coastal city in Iran. Materials and Methods Measurements were carried out using a radon monitoring device. Outdoor and indoor radon concentrations were measured within 24 hours with an integration interval of 3 hours. Regions were selected with respect to our previous study on areas of Ramsar with high levels of environmental background radiation. Results This study showed that indoor 222Rn concentration reached to 465 Bq/m3 in one of the selected regions (Talesh Mahalleh) in early morning (5-8 a.m.). Our study also showed that the average effective dose equivalents (due to both indoor and outdoor exposures) in the selected regions (Talesh Mahalleh, Sadat Mahalleh, and Chaparsar) were 9.5±2.8, 5.1±2.1, and 3.2±1.2 mSv/y, respectively. Conclusion It is clear that the annual effective dose from internal exposure to 222Rn in areas of Ramsar with high levels of natural radiation was significantly higher than the maximum annual effective dose permissible for public.