Avaliação da concentração de radônio no ambiente de grutas turísticas na rota Peter Lund

Abstract

The visitation of underground cavities, whether demarcated for tourist purposes or not, represents a great tourist-economic potential given the almost eight thousand caves cataloged in Brazil today. The presence and quantification of radon radioactive gas and its progeny is not a subject, for example, in management plans in caves classified as tourist. With little or no clear information, workers and visitors to these locations are unaware of the radiation dose they receive and, consequently, the risks to which they are exposed. It is important to note that natural radiation is recurrent in our daily lives, being responsible for about 50% of all radiation that a living being receives throughout his life. This natural radiation becomes a potential health hazard when it is confined to workplaces and homes where it will necessarily be absorbed by locals. Since being irradiated should be viewed as commonplace, knowing the characteristics of the air, and specifically the amount of radon in it, assists in taking mitigating measures when necessary in order to avert any risk to community health. exposed to gas. The caves contemplated by this research have great prestige regarding their speleotouristic potential being used, for example, in large television productions. Four methods were used to quantify radon in these caves. Three short-term analysis methods using an internationally known AlphaGuard® brand ionization chamber, an AlphaE® brand personal monitor, and RadElec electret diffusion chambers, and another medium-term measurement method using SSNTD trace detectors. The results presented on the amount of radon radioactive gas in the Rei do Mato, Do Maquiné and Lapinha caves, such as the concentration above 1400 Bq.m-3 found in one of the chambers of the Rei do Mato cave, above 1000 Bq.m-3 recommended by the ICRP, will contribute to the literature for future projects, demonstrating if there is any risk to the health of workers and tourists, encouraging mitigating actions when the dose presented and exposure requires it.