Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Activity of radon (222Rn) in the lower atmospheric surface layer of a typical rural site in south India

  • Published:
Journal of Earth System Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Analysis of one year measurements of in situ radon (222Rn) and its progenies along with surface air temperature, relative humidity and pressure near to the Earth’s surface has been carried out for the first time at the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL, 13.5∘N and 79.2∘E) located in a rural site in Gadanki, south India. The dataset was analysed to understand the behaviour of radon in relation to the surface air temperature and relative humidity at a rural site. It was observed that over a period of the 24 hours in a day, the activity of radon and its progenies reaches a peak in the morning hours followed by a remarkable decrease in the afternoon hours. Relatively, a higher concentration of radon was observed at NARL during fair weather days, and this can be attributed to the presence of rocky hills and dense vegetation surrounding the site. The high negative correlation between surface air temperature and activity of radon (R = – 0.70, on an annual scale) suggests that dynamical removal of radon due to increased vertical mixing is one of the most important controlling processes of the radon accumulation in the atmospheric surface layer. The annual averaged activity of radon was found to be 12.01±0.66 Bq m−3 and 4.25±0.18 Bq m−3 for its progenies, in the study period.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Calin M R and Calin M A 2011 System for air radon activity concentration measurements based on ion-pulse ionization chamber detector; J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 288 109–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers S D, Williams A G, Crawford J and Griffiths A D 2015 On the use of radon for quantifying the effects of atmospheric stability on urban emissions; Atmos. Chem. Phys. 15 1175–1190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clements W. E and Wilkening M. H 1974 Atmospheric pressure effects on radon transport across the earth–air interface; J. Geophys. Res. 3 5025–5029.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desideri D, Roselli C, Feduzi L and Assunta Meli M 2006 Monitoring the atmospheric stability by using radon concentration measurements: A study in a central Italy site; J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 270 523–530.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desideri D, Roselli C, Meli M A and Feduzi L 2007 Comparison between the diurnal trends of ozone and radon gas concentrations measured at ground in the semi-rural site of central Italy; J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 273 345–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Carlo P., Pitari G., De Luca N. and Battisti D. 2009 Observations of surface radon in central Italy; Environ. Geol. 58 431–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Exposures from natural radiation 2000 United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR); Vol 1, Annex B.

  • Freund F. T, Kulahci I. G, Cyr G., Ling J., Winnick M., Tregloan-Reed J. and Freund M. M 2009 Air ionization at rock surfaces and pre-earthquake signals; J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phys. 71 1824–1834.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujinami N. 1996 Observational study of the scavenging of radon daughters by precipitation from the atmosphere; Environ. Int. 22 181–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghosh D., Deb A. and Sengupta R. 2009 Anomalous radon emission as precursor of earthquake ; J. Appl. Geophys. 69 67–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths A D, Parkes S D, Chambers S D, McCabe M F and Williams A G 2013 Improved mixing height monitoring through a combination of lidar and radon measurements; Atmos. Meas. Tech. 6 207–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoppel W. A and Frick G. M 1986 Ion-aerosol attachment coefficients and the steady state charge distribution on aerosols in a bipolar ion environment; Aerosol. Sci. Tech. 5 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Israelsson S, Knudsen E and Ungethum E 1973 Simultaneous measurements of radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn) in the atmospheric surface layer; Tellus 25 281–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jayaratne E R, Ling X and Morawska L 2011 Role of vegetation in enhancing radon concentration and ion production in the atmosphere; Environ. Sci. Technol. 45 6350–6355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kataoka T, Yunoki E, Shimizu M, Mori T, Tsukamoto O, Ohashi Y, Sahashi K, Maitani T, Iwata T, Fujikawa Y and Kudo A 2001 A study of the atmospheric boundary layer using radon and air pollutants as tracers; Bound.-Layer Meteor. 101 131–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi Y, Yasuoka Y, Omori Y, Nagahama H, Sanada T, Muto J, Suzuki T, Homma Y, Ihara H, Kubota K and Mukai T 2015 Annual variation in the atmospheric radon concentration in Japan; J. Environ. Radioact. 146 110–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolarz P M, Filipović D M and Marinković B P 2009 Daily variations of indoor air-ion and radon concentrations; Appl. Radiat. Isot. 67 2062–2067.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lebedyte M, Dutkus D and Morknas G 2002 Variations of the ambient dose equivalent in the ground level air ; J. Environ. Radioact. 64 45–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews J C, Buckley A J, Wright M D and Henshaw D L 2012 Comparisons of ground level measurements of ion concentration and potential gradient upwind and downwind of HV power lines in corona; J. Electrostat. 70 407–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mizuno A and Takashima K 2013 Continuous measurement of current in air and possible relation with intense earthquake; J. Electrostat. 71 529–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagaraja K, Prasada B S N, Madhava M S, Chandrashekara M S, Paramesha L, Sannappa J, Pawar S D, Murugavel P and Kamra A K 2003 Radon and its short-lived progeny: Variations near the ground; Radiat. Meas. 36 413–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagaraja K, Prasad B S N, Srinivas N and Madhava M S 2006 Electrical conductivity near the Earth’s surface: Ion–aerosol model; J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phys. 68 757–768.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagaraja K., Prasad B S N and Datta J. 2009 Atmospheric electrical conductivity measurements and modelling for application to air pollution studies; Adv. Space Res. 44 1067–1078.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naja M and Lal S 2002 Surface ozone and precursor gases at Gadanki (13.5∘N, 79.2∘E), a tropical rural site in India; J. Geophys. Res. 107 4197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pawar S D 2013 Air ion and pollution index variation for indoor and outdoor atmosphere at rural station Ramanandnagar, India; J. Earth Syst. Sci. 122 229–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porstendorfer J 1994 Properties and behaviour of radon and thoron and their decay products in the air; J. Aeronaut. Sci. 25 219–263.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prasad B S N, Nagaraja K, Chandrashekara M S, Paramesh L and Madhava M S 2005 Diurnal and seasonal variations of radioactivity and electrical conductivity near the surface for a continental location Mysore, India; Atmos. Res. 76 65–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pressyanov D S, Guelev M G and Sharkov B G 1995 Radon and radon progeny outdoors in a valley of enhanced natural radioactivity; Atmos. Environ. 29 3433–3439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renuka K, Gadhavi H., Jayaraman A, Lal S., Naja M and Bhaskara Rao S V 2014 Study of Ozone and NO2 over Gadanki – a rural site in south India; J. Atmos. Chem. 71 9284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seftelis I, Nicolaou G, Trassanidis S and Tsagas F N 2007 Diurnal variation of radon progeny; J. Environ. Radioact. 97 116–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sesana L, Caprioli E and Marcazzan G M 2003 Long period study of outdoor radon concentration in Milan and correlation between its temporal variations and dispersion properties of atmosphere; J. Environ. Radioact. 65 147–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srinivas N, Prasad B S N and Nagaraja K 2001 An ion aerosol model study for the stratospheric conductivity under enhanced aerosol condition; Indian J. Radio Space 30 31–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) 1993 Sources and effects of ionizing radiation.

  • Walia V, Virk H S and Bajwa B S 2006 Radon precursory signals for some earthquakes of magnitude >5 occurred in N–W Himalaya; Pure Appl. Geophys. 163 711–721.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkening M 1990 Radon in the environment; Elsevier Science Publishers, AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 137p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimnoch M, Wach P, Chmura L, Gorczyca Z, Rozanski K, Godlowska J, Mazur J, Kozak K and Jericevic A 2014 Factors controlling temporal variability of near-ground atmospheric radon concentration over central Europe; Atmos. Chem. Phys. 14 9567–9581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zoran M, Savastru R and Savastru D 2012 Ground based radon (222Rn) observations in Bucharest, Romania and their application to geophysics; J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 293 877–888.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zoran M, Dida M R, Savastru R, Savastru D, Dida A and Ionescu O 2014 Ground level ozone (O3) associated with radon (radon) and particulate matter (PM) concentrations in Bucharest metropolitan area and adverse health effects; J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 300 729–746.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to the Director, National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Gadanki, India for the constant encouragement and extending all the facilities to carry out the experiments at Gadanki, and also to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Government of India, for financial assistance to carry out the present research work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Bangalore University, Bengaluru, 560 056, India

    K Charan Kumar & Kamsali Nagaraja

  2. National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Gadanki, 517 112, India

    T Rajendra Prasad & M Venkat Ratnam

Authors
  1. K Charan Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T Rajendra Prasad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M Venkat Ratnam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kamsali Nagaraja
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K Charan Kumar.

Additional information

Corresponding editor: K Krishnamoorthy

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kumar, K.C., Prasad, T.R., Ratnam, M.V. et al. Activity of radon (222Rn) in the lower atmospheric surface layer of a typical rural site in south India. J Earth Syst Sci 125, 1391–1397 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-016-0745-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-016-0745-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation