Indoor Particle Alpha Radioactivity Origins in Occupied Homes.

Exposure to radioactivity inside homes potentially poses severe health risks which can be exacerbated by the interaction between radioactive particles and fine indoor particles; in particular, the presence of α particles are a key risk factor. Hence, in this study, particle radioactivity was concurrently measured in the family rooms and basements of 26 homes to assess its concentrations and identify its sources, both indoors and outdoors, across two seasons. The levels of radon, air ions, and particle radioactivity, which included short- and long-lived α-activity (SLA and LLA, respectively), varied greatly but were substantially higher in the basements. Also, particle radioactivity-as well as PM