title: Uranium, radium and radon exhalation studies in geological samples belonging to some areas of punjab, using track etching technique.
abstract: With a view to prospect the uranium, radium and radon concentration and related health risk assessments in areas of Muktsar and Ferozepur districts in Punjab, the fission track registration technique has been used for the analysis of water and soil samples. Uranium content in water ranged from 5.47 to 10.19 microg/l(-1) and 6.28 to 11.74 microg/l(-1) for Muktsar and Ferozepur respectively. Uranium content in soil samples of Muktsar and Ferozepur ranged from 1.14 to 1.90 mg/kg(-1) and 1.26 to 2.44 mg/kg(-1) respectively. Radium concentration in these soil samples has been found to vary from 3.97 to 15.94 bq/kg(-1) and 7.24 to 24.14 bq/kg(-1) for Muktsar and Ferozepur respectively. The radon exhalation values were calculated in terms of area (E(A)) and mass (E(M)). The values of E(M) ranged from 4.9 to 20.6 (mbqkg(-1) hr(-1)) for Muktsar and 9.4 to 31.3 (mbqkg(-1)hr(-1)) for Ferozepur and values of E(A) ranged from 173 to 728 (mbqm(-2)hr(-1)) for Muktsar and 330 to 1102 (mbqm(-2)hr(-1)) for Ferozepur district. These values in general are low and not significant from health hazard point of view. The values of uranium concentration in water samples of these areas are lower than those reported for soil and water samples of Himachal Pradesh. These values are also lower than those reported by Singh et al. for the rocks belonging to uranium and copper mines of Bihar.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India.
authors.forename: Surinder
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mehra
authors.forename: Kulwant
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D055593:Geological Phenomena; D005844:Geology; D007194:India; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D011883:Radium / Q000032:analysis*; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D014501:Uranium; D011886:Radon; D011883:Radium