title: Radon levels in drinking water and soil samples of Jodhpur and Nagaur districts of Rajasthan, India.
abstract: Radon causes lung cancer when it is trapped inside the lungs. Therefore it is very important to analyze the radon concentration in water and soil samples. In the present investigation, water and soil samples collected from 20 different locations of Jodhpur and Nagaur districts of Northern Rajasthan, India have been studied by using RAD7. The measured radon concentration in water samples varies from 0.5 to 15Bql(-1). The observed values lie within the safe limit as set by UNSCEAR, 2008. The total annual effective dose due to radon in water corresponding to all studied locations has been found to be well within the safe limit of 0.1mSvy(-1) as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO, 2004) and European Council (EU, 1998). The measurements carried out on radon concentration in soil samples reveal a variation from 1750 to 9850Bqm(-3). These results explore that the water of Jodhpur and Nagaur districts is suitable for drinking purpose without posing any health hazard but soil hazards depend upon its permeability and radon concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Sciences, Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar 144601, Punjab, India. Electronic address: sudhirmittal03@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sudhir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Science, Ferozepur College of Engineering and Technology, Ferozshah, Ferozepur 142052, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Asha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rani
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar 144011, India.
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mehra
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004782:Environmental Health; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D000072232:Radiation Dosimeters; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D060753:Water Quality / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon
keywords: Annual effective dose; Ground water; Ingestion; Inhalation; Radon concentration; Soil gas; Tap water