The Thoron Issue: Monitoring Activities, Measuring Techniques and Dose Conversion Factors
- 1 July 1998
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Radiation Protection Dosimetry
- Vol. 78 (1) , 59-64
- https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a032334
Abstract
The health risk due to the presence of thoron indoors is usually neglected because of its generally low concentration in indoor environments, which is essentially caused by its short half-life. However, in certain not uncommon situations, such as when thorium-rich building materials are used, thoron (220Rn) may represent a significant source of radioactive exposure. In recent years, renewed interest has led to more intensive monitoring of thoron gas and its decay products. A tentatively comprehensive summary of these measurement results and a review of the most innovative measurement techniques for 220Rn are here presented. Finally, dose-exposure conversion factors currently used for thoron decay products are analysed, highlighting the poorer basis of such factors, when compared to those for radon.Keywords
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