Wuppertal 2015 – scientific programme

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ST: Fachverband Strahlen- und Medizinphysik

ST 3: Poster-Session

ST 3.7: Poster

Tuesday, March 10, 2015, 15:00–16:15, Foyer Ebene G.10

Real-Time measurement of Radon level in Kabul basements and Panjsher caves - Afghanistan — •Mohammad Rahmatullah Tanha — Institut für Radioökologie und Strahlenschutz (IRS), Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, Gebäude 4113, 30419 Hannover, Germany

As a landlocked country Afghanistan has only 30% of flat land where 12.5% is arable, citizens used their available flat land for cultivation and livestock, therefore caves were constructed on the top of hills and middle of mountains which were used as living houses alongside history. Today, these caves are used as shelter by residents. Due to emanation from surrounding rock there are rather high radon concentrations in the air. Equally high concentrations are found in a considerable number of basements with bad ventilation systems which are used as permanent living space , due to recent population increase in big cities, Indoor Radon inhalation accounts for more than 40% of the annual dose from natural sources of radiation meanwhile radon is considered as the second largest reason for lung cancer after the tobacco, therefore a study was launched to measure the concentration and estimate dose rate of radon in some of such basements in Kabul and caves in Panjsher valley. A real-time radon measurement prototype device recently developed by the Helmholtz Center Munich was used. The measurement time was 102 and 27 hours for basements and caves respectively. The dose was estimated using ICRP recommendations and German BFS standard values. The study shows an enhanced dose of up to 2.3 and 9.8 mSv/y in basements and caves, respectively.