Medición de radón-222 en lugares de trabajo ubicados en sótanos, utilizando detectores LR 115 - tipo 2

Radon-222 is a naturally occurring gas produced by the natural radioactive decay of Uranium, which is present in soil and rock. Radon readily emanates from the soil and passes into the air, where it decays and emits alpha particles and produces a series of short-lived particles (Polonium-218, Polonium-214, and Polonium-210) that also decay by emitting alpha particles. People inhale the short-lived particles, and these can cause significant damage to the inner cells of the bronchioles and may also lead to the development of lung cancer. For the reasons stated above, it is of utmost importance to measure and evaluate the levels of exposure due to Radon. In this research work, the concentration of Radon-222 is determined in 26 workplaces located in basements belonging to 10 buildings in the city of Lima, Peru. In the measurements, LR-115 Type 2 detectors are used, which are placed on the walls of the basements under study at three levels, 40 cm, 100 cm and 160 cm high, measured from the floor. The detectors are then recorded and read following the protocol used in the Laboratory of the Nuclear Fingerprint Technique Research Group of the PUCP (GITHUNU-PUCP). The statistical results show that 12 workplaces presented concentration levels greater than 150 Bq/m³, in different measurement periods, and this was due to limitations in ventilation in these environments. In addition, using the Pearson coefficient, it was possible to evaluate the correlation of the concentration of radon-222 with relative humidity and temperature, in 20 work environments. Of these, only one environment shows a significant positive linear correlation between concentration and temperature; and only one environment shows a significant negative linear correlation between concentration and relative humidity. From this we conclude that meteorological variables of humidity and temperature probably do not significantly influence the concentration of radon-222 in this type of enclosure.