Determination of Radon Concentration in Some Types of the Smoking Staff

Radon concentrations were measured with long-term alpha-track radon detectors along with radon scout. Radon gas emanates from the radium content of terrestrial products, like tobacco leaves. Smoking materials contain, beside tobacco, many other additives that may also contain radium traces. These additives aim at exciting smoker’s feeling via chemical reactions, which may be disrupted by alpha particle simultaneous ionizing effect leading to mutation. This study may provide evidence of intimate relation between smoke’s radon and risk of lung cancer. Radon was measured by tracking its emitted alpha particles in solid state CR-39 plastic detector and also by counting ionization pulses in silicon surface barrier detector (radon-scout). The results indicate that some of the cigarette staffs raise radon concentration in air to 270 bq/m, corresponding to an annual effective dose of about 5500 μSv.