Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Radon in groundwater in parts of coastal tracts of southern Kerala, India

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Spatial distribution of radon in groundwater in the coastal tracts of southern Kerala, India was studied to understand its linkage with the monazite bearing beach sand deposits in the area. The mean radon concentrations were below the guideline value recommended by United States Environmental Protection Agency in about 94 % samples analyzed. Annual effective ingestion and inhalation doses of water-borne radon were found to be well below the average doses reported from all natural sources. The study indicated that radionuclides in the monazite-rich beach sands do not contribute significantly to the radon concentration in groundwater in the area.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ragheb M (2011) Nuclear, plasma and radiation science. Inventing the future—chapter 4—environmental radiation. http://mragheb.com/NPRE%20402%20ME%20405%20Nuclear%20Power%20Engineering/Environmental%20Radiation.pdf); Accessed 11 Apr 2015

  2. Duenas C, Fernandez MC, Carretero J, Liger E, Canete S (1999) 226Ra and 222Rn concentrations and doses in bottled waters in Spain. J Environ Radioact 45:283–290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1992a) A citizen’s guide to radon—the guide to protecting yourself and your family from radon: EPA 402-K92-001, p 15

  4. Akawwi E (2014) Radon-222 concentrations in the groundwater along Eastern Jordan Rift. J Appl Sci 14:309–316

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) (2000) Sources, effects and risks of ionizing radiations. UNSCEAR, New York

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cook PG, Favreau G, Dighton JC, Tickell S (2003) Determining natural groundwater influx to a tropical river using radon, chlorofluorocarbons and ionic environmental tracers. J Hydrol 277:74–88

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ellins KK, Romanmas A, Lee R (1990) Using Rn-222 to examine groundwater-surface discharge interaction in the Rio-Grande-de-Manati, Puerto-Rico. J Hydrol 115:319–341

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Genereux DP, Hemond HF, Mulholland PJ (1993) Use of Rn-222 and calcium as tracers in a 3-end-member mixing model for streamflow generation on the west fork of Walker branch watershed. J Hydrol 142:167–211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hamada H (1999) Analysis of the interaction between surface water and groundwater using radon-222. Jpn Agric Res Q 33(4):261–265

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hamada H (2000) Estimation of groundwater flow rate using the decay of Rn-222 in a well. J Environ Radioact 47(1):1–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Macheleidt W, Nestler W, Grischek T (2002) Determination of hydraulic boundary conditions for the interaction between surface water and groundwater. Spec Publ Geol Soc Lond 193:235–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Mullinger NJ, Binley AM, Pates JM, Crook NP (2007) Radon in chalk streams: spatial and temporal variation of groundwater sources in the Pang and Lambourn catchments, UK. J Hydrol 339:172–182

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lee JM, Kim G (2006) A simple and rapid method for analysing radon in coastal and groundwaters using a radon-in-air monitor. J Environ Radioact 89:219–228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Dytham C (2011) Choosing and using statistics: a biologist’s guide, 3rd edn. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  15. Helsel DR, Hirsch RM (2002) Statistical methods in water resources—techniques of water resources investigations, book 4, chapter A3. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston

    Google Scholar 

  16. Krishan G, Rao MS, Kumar CP, Semwal Prabhat (2015) Radon concentration in groundwater of east coast of West Bengal, India. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 303:2221–2225

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wu Y-Y, Ma Y-Z, Cui H-X, Liu J-X, Sun Y-R, Shang B, Xu S (2014) Radon concentrations in drinking water in Beijing City, China and contribution to radiation dose. Int J Environ Res Public Health 11:11121–11131

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  19. World Health Organization (WHO) (2011) Guidelines for drinking-water quality. In: Radiological aspects, 4th edn. WHO, Geneva

  20. Mineral Resources. http://dmg.kerala.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=61. Accessed 15 Apr 2015

  21. Das B (2010) Genetic studies on human population residing in high level natural radiation areas of Kerala coast. BARC Newsl 313:28–37

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Virk HS, Walia V, Bajwa BS (2001) Radon monitoring in underground water of Gurdaspur and Bathinda districts of Punjab, India. Indian J Pure Appl Phys 39:746–749

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Duggal V, Asha R, Rohit M (2012) In situ measurements of radon levels in groundwater in Northern Rajasthan, India. Adv Appl Sci Res 3(6):3825–3830

    Google Scholar 

  24. D’Cunha P, Narayana Y, Karunakara N, Yashodhara I, Kumara S (2011) Concentration of 222Rn in drinking water along coastal Kerala and evaluation of ingestion doses. Radiat Prot Environ 34:197–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) (1988) Sources, effects and risks of ionizing radiation. Report to the general assembly, United Nations, New York

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to Shri Sushil Gupta, Chairman (Retd.), Central Ground Water Board for granting permission to conduct the study and to Dr. R C Jain, Member (SAM) (Retd.) and Shri K Md. Najeeb, Member (TT & WQ) (Retd), Central Ground Water Board, Government of India, for their encouragement. They are thankful to Shri K B Biswas, Chairman, Central Ground Water Board for granting permission for publication of this paper and Dr.Dipankar Saha, Member (RGI), for suggestions to improve the paper. Thanks are also due to the Regional Director, CGWB, South Western Region, Bengaluru for making the RAD 7 instrument available for the study and to all colleagues for their help and cooperation during the study and preparation of the paper. The anonymous reviewers are thanked for their meticulous reviews, which have helped improve the quality of the paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Ground Water Board, Kerala Region, ‘KEDARAM’, Kesavadasapuram, Trivandrum, 695 004, Kerala, India

    P. Nandakumaran, N. Vinayachandran, T. S. Anitha Shyam, M. S. Sreehari Sarangan & M. Santhana Subramani

  2. Central Ground Water Board, South Western Region, 7th Cross, 27th Main, HSR Layout, Sector- 1, Bangalore, 560 102, Karnataka, India

    Bijimol Jose

Authors
  1. P. Nandakumaran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. N. Vinayachandran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. T. S. Anitha Shyam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bijimol Jose
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. S. Sreehari Sarangan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M. Santhana Subramani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Nandakumaran.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nandakumaran, P., Vinayachandran, N., Anitha Shyam, T.S. et al. Radon in groundwater in parts of coastal tracts of southern Kerala, India. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 308, 99–104 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4272-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4272-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation