Estimation of radiation dose due to U and 222Rn in groundwater to the population of Kodagu district, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Systematic studies on natural radioactivity in the groundwater of Kodagu district, India were carried out. LED fluorimetric technique to measure uranium activity and emanometric technique to measure ²²²Rn activity in groundwater samples were used. The concentration of U and ²²²Rn in the water samples was observed to vary from 0.44 to 8.81 μg L^−l with a geometric mean of 2.04 μg L^−l and 1.54 to 9.61 Bq L⁻¹ with a geometric mean of 3.59 Bq L⁻¹, respectively. The estimated concentrations of uranium and radon in groundwater were within the recommended standard limits. The radiation dose due to U and ²²²Rn in groundwater was estimated and the total dose due to these radionuclides was found to vary from 4.51 to 30.28 μSv y⁻¹ which was below the prescribed safe limit of 0.1 mSv y⁻¹ by the WHO.