Indoor Radon Concentration and Its Health Risks in Selected Locations in Iraqi Kurdistan Using CR-39 NTDS

In this study, indoor radon concentration (C
_Rn
), annual effective dose (mSv.y
^-1
) and estimate of lung cancer risks have been studied inside 124 dwellings at 31 different locations in Iraqi Kurdistan using 248 pieces of CR-39 nuclear track detectors . The results show that the average radon concentration was equal to (143.77±±46.105) Bq.m
^-3
. The distribution of average concentration of indoor radon in Iraqi Kurdistan is approximately lognormal in the summer, mostly (64.3%) below 150 Bq.m
^-3
, (19.3%) between 150 Bq.mm
^-3
to 200 Bq.m
^-3
and (16.4%) above 200 Bq.m
^-3
. For estimation of lung cancer risks, some important parameters such as; exposure of radon progeny, lifetime risk and lung cancer cases per year per million have been calculated. According to the estimation risks factor, the radon induced lung cancer risks for dwellings in selected location was equal to 65.22±±20.93 per million person.