A study on radon absorption efficiencies of edible oils produced in India

A study on absorption of radon by different edible oils of plant origins produced and used in India was conducted in order to identify efficient radon-absorbing oils. A comparative study of radon absorption by edible oils of India with that of olive oil, which is known as a good absorber of radon, was also carried out. The study was performed by bubbling known concentrations of radon through the oil contained in a bottle and then evaluating the bubbled oil by gamma-ray spectrometry using an HPGe detector. The results show that oils such as coconut oil, gingelly oil (till oil), ground nut oil, mustard oil, sunflower oil, and saffola kardi oil are also good absorbers for radon, and among them coconut oil and gingelly oils are better absorbers than olive oil. The Henry's equilibrium constant (or the concentration factor), an indicator for the solubility of gas in liquids, was also measured for different types of oil by saturating a known volume of the oil with radon. The Henry's equilibrium constant varied in the range 7.32-8.22 for the Indian vegetable oils, and for olive oil it was found to be 7.88. The details of the experimental technique employed and results obtained are presented and discussed in this paper.