Primary sources of population radiation exposure in multi-story residential buildings in large Russian cities

The article presents estimates of the annual effective doses received by residents of multi-story residential buildings constructed after the year 2000 and classified as energy-efficient. The assessments cover nine major cities across Russia and focus on external and internal exposure. The calculations are based on field measurements, including non-destructive assessments of the average concentration of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K and effective dose rate, as well as concentrations of radon and the equilibrium equivalent thoron concentration within contemporary high-rise buildings. The average annual effective dose from external exposure for the surveyed cities was found to be 0.27 mSv, while the internal exposure attributable to radon and its progeny amounted to 0.90 mSv, and that from thoron progeny was estimated at 0.31 mSv.