The Indoor Radon Concentration within the Tunnels of the Cholula Pyramid Through a Nuclear Tracks Methodology
Journal Title: Journal of Nuclear Physics, Material Sciences, Radiation and Applications - Year 2016, Vol 4, Issue 1
Abstract
Global organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States (US-EPA) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) recognize that radon gas as one of the main contributors to environmental radiation exposure for humans. Accordingly, a study and analysis of the indoors radon concentrate in the Cholula Pyramid contributes to understand the Radon dynamic inside of the Pyramid tunnels and to evaluate the radiological health risk to visitors, archaeologists, anthropologists and persons who spend extended periods inside the Pyramid. In this paper, the radon measurements along the Pyramid tunnels are presented. The Nuclear Track Methodology (NTM) was chosen for the measurements, using a close end-cup device developed at the Dosimetry Application Project (DAP) of the Physics Institute UNAM, following very well established protocols for the chemical etching and reading with the Counting Analysis Digital Imaging System (CADIS). The Cholula Pyramid consists of eight stages of constructions, each built in different periods of time. Cholula Pyramid is recognized as the pyramid with the largest base in the World, with 400 meters per side and 65 meters high. The tunnels of the pyramid were built in 1931 by architect Ignacio Marquina, with the aim of exploring and studying the structure. The results show an important indoor radon concentration in the measured tunnels, several times higher than levels recommended by United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA). The recommendation will be to mitigate the radon concentration levels, in order to avoid unnecessary exposition to the people.
Authors and Affiliations
A. Lima-Flores, R. Palomino-Merino, E. Espinosa, V. M. Castano, M. Cruz-Sanchez, G. Espinosa
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP595462
- DOI 10.15415/jnp.2016.41008
- Views 232
- Downloads 0
Multiphoton Ionization of Uracil at 355 nm
We present the experimental results from ionization and dissociation by multiphoton absorption (MPI) of uracil and a mixture of uracil with Ar using a Reflectron time of flight spectrometer along with radiation from 355...
Effective Atomic Number Dependence of Radiological Parameters of Some Organic Compounds at 122 KeV Gamma Rays
Mass attenuation coefficient is a fundamental parameter of radiation interaction, from which the other radiological parameters like half Value Layer [HVL], tenth Value Layer [TVL], total atomic and electronic cross-secti...
Gamma Radiation Doses Effects on Mechanical Properties and Microwave Absorption Capacity of Rubber Doped Concrete
The main raw material for the construction industry is concrete; whose fundamental components are the fine and coarse aggregates, water and cement. For the obtaining of these materials are necessary activities that gener...
The Status of Natural Radioactivity and Heavy Metals Pollution on Marine Sediments Red Sea Coast, At Safaga, Egypt
Natural 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radio nuclides concentration in beach Sediments along Safaga coast of Red sea, Egypt has been carried out using a NaI (Tl) gamma ray spectrometric technique. The total average concentrations...
Development of Silicon Sensor Characterization System for Future High Energy Physics Experiments
The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) is one of the general purpose experiments at the Large hadron Collider (LhC), CeRN and has its tracker built of all silicon strip and pixel sensors. Si sensors are expected to play extreme...