Residential radon exposure in Astana and Aqsu, Kazakhstan

Shinji Tokonami; Chutima Kranrod; Polat Kazymbet; Yasutaka Omori; Meirat Bakhtin; Worawat Poltabtim; Saowarak Musikawan; Radhia Pradana; Yerlan Kashkinbayev; Kassym Zhumadilov; Ainur Pirmanova; Moldir Aumalikova; Zhantore Isa; Aya Sakaguchi; Hitoshi Sato; Masaharu Hoshi

doi:10.1088/1361-6498/acda41

Residential radon exposure in Astana and Aqsu, Kazakhstan

J Radiol Prot. 2023 Jun 8;43(2). doi: 10.1088/1361-6498/acda41.

Authors

Shinji Tokonami¹, Chutima Kranrod^{1

2}, Polat Kazymbet³, Yasutaka Omori¹, Meirat Bakhtin³, Worawat Poltabtim^{1

4}, Saowarak Musikawan^{1

4}, Radhia Pradana^{1

4}, Yerlan Kashkinbayev³, Kassym Zhumadilov⁵, Ainur Pirmanova³, Moldir Aumalikova³, Zhantore Isa³, Aya Sakaguchi⁶, Hitoshi Sato⁷, Masaharu Hoshi⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan.
² Natural Radiation Survey and Analysis Research Unit, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
³ Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan.
⁴ Department of Radiation Science, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan.
⁵ L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010008, Kazakhstan.
⁶ Institute of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
⁷ Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences, 4669-2 Ami, Ami-machi, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki 300-0394, Japan.
⁸ The Center for Peace, Hiroshima University, 1-1-89 Higashisenda-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-0053, Japan.

PMID: 37257438
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/acda41

Abstract

A pilot study was carried out to measure indoor radon concentrations in a uranium mining area of northern Kazakhstan. A total of 80 places at kindergartens, elementary schools, and dwellings were selected in Aqsu village and Astana city as the uranium mining area and background area for comparison, respectively. In Astana and Aqsu, the 3-month radon concentrations from late summer to autumn in 2022 were measured using the RADUET passive radon detectors. Radon concentrations ranged from 4 to >2000 Bq m^-3(mean ± standard deviation: 290 ± 173 Bq m^-3) throughout the study areas. The concentrations were higher in Aqsu, and 70% of the dwellings there exceeded 300 Bq m^-3, whereas only 5% of them exceeded 300 Bq m^-3in Astana. Accordingly, the new dose conversion factor for radon recommended by International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 137 was applied to calculate the annual effective dose. The annual effective dose from the inhalation of radon was estimated to be 3.6 ± 4.6 mSv y^-1for Astana and 23.7 ± 15.6 mSv y^-1, for Aqsu, which are both higher than the world average value of 2.5 mSv y^-1.

Keywords: Kazakhstan; radon; thoron.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants, Radioactive* / analysis
Air Pollution, Indoor* / analysis
Housing
Kazakhstan
Pilot Projects
Radiation Monitoring*
Radon* / analysis
Uranium*

Substances

Air Pollutants, Radioactive
Uranium
Radon