Dose distribution to individual tissues and organs due to exposure of alpha energies from radon and thoron to local population of Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, India

A case study on seasonal and annual average indoor radon, thoron, and their progeny level in Kohima district, Nagaland, India

Indoor radon and thoron survey has been carried out in 50 dwellings under Kohima district, Nagaland, India, using the latest measurement technology. The survey has been carried out for a one-year period in 3 different seasons, and the dwellings were selected according to the building materials used for construction. Indoor radon and thoron concentrations, as well as their progeny, followed a predictable pattern with greater levels in the winter and lower levels in the summer. Concrete housing had greater radon and thoron concentrations than bamboo and semi-wood/bamboo homes. The equilibrium factor (E.F.) and inhalation dose due to radon, thoron, and their corresponding progeny were also studied in the present study.

A comprehensive study of radon in drinking waters of Hanumangarh district and the assessment of resulting dose to local population

Study of radon concentration in drinking water from different sources (groundwater and surface water) used across the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan, India, was done using scintillation-based detector. The concentration of radon in surface water varied from 0.12 to 2.07 Bq/l with an average value of 0.62 Bq/l and a standard deviation of 0.55 Bq/l and in groundwater samples varied from 1.61 to 8.73 Bq/l with an average value of 4.8 Bq/l and a standard deviation of 2.24 Bq/l. The ingestion and inhalation dose were calculated to assess the health risk for infants, children and adults. The resulting average annual effective dose has been found to be considerably lower than the recommended safe limit of 0.1 msv/y (WHO, In: Incorporating first and second addenda, third ed. WHO Press, Geneva. 3rd ed. World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland, 2008). It can be concluded that radon in water does not pose a significant radiological health risk to the population of the studied area.

A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON INDOOR RADON, THORON AND THEIR PROGENY LEVEL IN DIMAPUR DISTRICT OF NAGALAND, INDIA

Indoor radon (222Rn), thoron (220Rn) and their progeny concentrations were detected in several homes in Dimapur district, Nagaland, utilizing Direct Radon and Thoron progeny sensors based on solid-state Nuclear Track Detectors (Type-2 film) and pinhole type radon-thoron discriminating dosemeters. For three separate seasons, the annual inhalation dose has been determined in 80 residences in the research regions. The residences were chosen to have various types of housing, such as concrete, semi-wood/bamboo and bamboo, with varying levels of ventilation that contribute to indoor 222Rn, 220Rn and their progeny. The inhalation dose in the survey area lies between 0.33 and 3.04 mSvy-1 and is within the reference value as suggested by ICRP, 2018.

Seasonal variation of indoor radon, thoron and their progeny in Belagavi district of Karnataka, India

Systematic investigations on the seasonal variation of indoor radon, thoron and their progeny levels have been carried out in Belagavi district of Karnataka, India. The radon and thoron levels were measured using LR-115 type II dosimeter in cups with single-entry pinhole. The measurements were carried out in all the four season, viz, monsoon, autumn, winter and summer, in selected houses of the region. The higher indoor radon levels were observed during autumn with an average concentration of 56.45 Bq m^-3. The minimum in radon levels was observed in summer with an average concentration of 21.8 Bq m^-3. The indoor thoron concentration was also maximum during autumn with an average value of 36.44 Bq m^-3 and minimum in summer with an average value of 15.9 Bq m^-3. The radon and thoron levels were also found to depend on the nature of walls and floorings of dwellings. The lung dose rate to the population due to radon ranged from 1.195 to 9.557 mSv year^-1, with an average of 4.572 mSv year^-1. Risk levels were found to be significant during autumn and winter due to the inhalation of indoor radon and thoron. The study forms the first comprehensive report on the indoor radon and thoron levels and the resulting population dose in the Belagavi region. The studies reveal that the major contributor to the population is radon and its progeny. However, a sizable dose also comes from indoor thoron and its progeny. The study emphasises the need to provide better ventilation system to future dwellings to reduce the risk from indoor radon and thoron.

Radiological risk assessment to the public due to the presence of radon in water of Barnala district, Punjab, India

Various research studies have shown that exposure to radon gas is a cause of concern for health effects to the public. The present work has been carried out for the radiological risk assessment to the public due to the presence of radon isotopes in drinking water of Barnala district of Punjab, India, for the first time using scintillation-based radiation detector. A total of 100 samples were collected from different sources of water (canal and underground water) from 25 villages on grid pattern of 6 × 6 km² in the study area for uniform mapping. In situ measurements were carried out to find out Rn-222 concentration in water samples. The measured values have been found to vary from 0.17 ± 0.01 to 9.84 ± 0.59 BqL^-1 with an average value of 3.37 ± 0.29 BqL^-1, which is well below the recommended limit of 100 BqL^-1(WHO 2004). The annual effective dose due to ingestion and inhalation of radon has also been calculated for various age groups like infants, children and adults to understand the age-wise dose distribution. The calculated values suggest that there is no significant health risk to the general public from radon in water.