| Title | Radiological risk from thoron, a case study: The particularly radon-prone area of Bolsena, and the lesson learned |
|---|---|
| Publication Type | Articolo su Rivista peer-reviewed |
| Year of Publication | 2015 |
| Authors | Cinelli, Giorgia, Capaccioni B., Hernández-Ceballos M.Á., Mostacci D., Perghem A., and Tositti L. |
| Journal | Radiation Physics and Chemistry |
| Volume | 116 |
| Pagination | 381-385 |
| ISSN | 0969806X |
| Keywords | Air exchanges, Annual dose rates, article, atmospheric diffusion, Atmospheric radioactivity, building material, case study, Central Italy, concentration (parameters), dosimetry, gamma spectrometry, half life time, Half lives, Ionizing radiation, Italy, Radiation, radiation hazard, Radiological risks, radon 220, Relaxation length, Through cracks, volcano, Walls (structural partitions) |
| Abstract | The contribution of 220Rn is usually negligible compared to that of 222Rn: its very short half-life makes escape from its source site within the rock very unlikely and it never has time enough to filtrate through the ground and through cracks in the floors or cellar walls to reach living quarters. This however becomes untrue if walls built with 232Th-rich materials are present: then sizeable amounts of thoron may be detected in the closed areas bounded by those walls. This is the case for many dwellings in central Italy, and the town of Bolsena (northern Latium) is presented as a case study. A typical building of the area, entirely constructed with tuff blocks, is investigated and the annual dose rates calculated for varying distances from the wall. Thoron concentration was found to decrease with a relaxation length of 13cm. Thoron was found to pose a significant risk. The rate of air exchange was found to produce little effect. Wall plastering acts as a filter: thoron diffuses through it but a HVL of less than 1cm was found to prevail. © 2015 The Authors. |
| Notes | cited By 8 |
| URL | https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84944161149&doi=10.1016%2fj.radphyschem.2015.02.016.&partnerID=40&md5=0f2a966a7b0f066031922b49c0b2aab2 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2015.02.016. |
| Citation Key | Cinelli2015381 |
