Radiation safety of students and staff of educational institutions in Tobolsk

The main part of radiation exposure to humans is formed by natural sources of ionizing radiation, of which radon is the predominant. A number of epidemiological studies have proven its detrimental effect on health — up to 15% of lung cancer cases are associated with daughter products of radon decay. Despite the very low radon content in the atmospheric air, the threat to health is reinforced by the fact that a person stays indoors for a long time, where radon activity is usually higher.

The study aims to assess the radiation safety of students and staff of educational institutions in Tobolsk.

A radonometric survey of 6 buildings of educational institutions in Tobolsk was conducted. As part of the work, the average annual value of the equivalent equilibrium volumetric radon activity, radiation doses and radiation risks caused by radon inhalation were determined for the studied premises. Radon activity was measured weekly by express method during the heating period.

The average annual radon activity in the air of the studied rooms is estimated at 51–59 Bq/m³ (110–134 Bq/m³, taking into account the uncertainty of the estimate). The annual effective doses of internal radiation and radiation risks of students and staff associated with radon inhalation while in educational institutions were less than 0.6 mSv/year and 7.9×10^–5–1×10^–4, respectively. With exposure to residential and outdoor areas, radiation doses increase to 1.45 mSv/year, and the risk of death from lung cancer increases to 2.4×10^–4.

According to the results of measurements of radon activity, no non-compliance with radiation safety standards was found among the studied rooms. The effective radiation dose for Tobolsk school workers and students does not exceed an acceptable level (5 mSv/year). The risk of death from lung cancer can be classified as low, acceptable to staff, but not to the general population.

Ethics. This study did not require the approval of the Ethics Committee.

Acknowledgement. The author is grateful to the educational institutions of Tobolsk that participated in the research. The author is grateful to the reviewers for suggestions and comments that improved the quality of the article.

Funding. The work was carried out within the Framework of the study "Ecological and geochemical transformations of soils of ecosystems of the Ob-Irtysh basin under the influence of natural and man-made factors" (R&D reg. number: 1024023000029-9-1.5.4).

Conflict of interest. The author declares no conflict of interest.

Received: 15.09.2025 / Accepted: 20.09.2025 / Published: 30.10.2025

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