Indoor Air Radon study in different local houses in and around Susunia hill area, Bankura District of West Bengal, India

A preliminary survey was conducted to assess indoor air radon concentrations in 70 living rooms across various houses located in and around the Susunia hill region of Bankura district, West Bengal, India. Measurements were carried out using an AlphaGUARD portable radon monitor. Among the surveyed dwellings, 89% were mud houses and 11% were brick houses. The indoor radon concentrations ranged from 24 to 239.7 Bq/m³, with an overall mean of 77.5 ± 5.5 Bq/m³. The average radon concentration in mud houses (80.8 ± 6.1 Bq/m³) was notably higher than that in brick houses (51.7 ± 3.6 Bq/m³). Approximately 27% and 10% of the measured rooms exceeded the reference levels of 100 Bq/m³ (by the WHO, IAEA) and 148 Bq/m³ (by the USEPA and EU) respectively. Various physical characteristics of the dwellings were recorded to investigate potential factors contributing to the observed variations in radon levels. Additionally, correlations between indoor radon concentrations and meteorological parameters such as air pressure, humidity, and temperature were analyzed. The annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk for the residents were also estimated for infants, children, adult male and female using established UNSCEAR 2019 model. The findings indicate the need for further comprehensive studies and potential mitigation strategies in radon-prone areas of the region.