Room model based Monte Carlo simulation study of the relationship between the airborne dose rate and the surface-deposited radon progeny

Authors

Kainan Sun
R. William Field
Daniel J. Steck, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2010

Disciplines

Health and Medical Physics | Physics

Abstract

The quantitative relationships between radon gas concentration, the surface-deposited activities of various radon progeny, the airborne radon progeny dose rate, and various residential environmental factors were investigated through a Monte Carlo simulation study based on the extended Jacobi room model. Airborne dose rates were calculated from the unattached and attached potential alpha-energy concentrations (PAECs) using two dosimetric models. Surface-deposited ²¹⁸Po and ²¹⁴Po were significantly correlated with radon concentration, PAECs, and airborne dose rate (p-values 218Po and ²¹⁴Po as predictors. In non-smoking environments, after adjusting for the effect of radon, deposited ²¹⁴Po was a significant positive predictor for one dose model (RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.27–1.67), while deposited ²¹⁸Po was a negative predictor for the other dose model (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83–0.98). In smoking environments, after adjusting for radon and room size, deposited ²¹⁸Po was a significant positive predictor for one dose model (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.19), while a significant negative predictor for the other model (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.85–0.95). After adjusting for radon and deposited ²¹⁸Po, significant increases of 1.14 (95% CI 1.03–1.27) and 1.13 (95% CI 1.05–1.22) in the mean dose rates were found for large room sizes relative to small room sizes in the different dose models.

Recommended Citation

Sun K, Field RW, Steck DJ. 2010. Room model based Monte Carlo simulation study of the relationship between the airborne dose rate and the surface-deposited radon progeny. Health Physics 98(1): 29-36.