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Assessment of physicochemical and radon-attributable radiological parameters of drinking water samples of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand

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Abstract

This study evaluates the quality of drinking water samples (sample size = 52) taken from various locations of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand. The parameters include physiochemical properties viz. total dissolved solids (TDS in mg/L), electrical conductivity/salinity (µS/cm), pH and radiological dose attributable to radon in water (µSv/y). TDS values for the tested samples varied within the range of 18–434 mg/L with average value of 148 mg/L. Electrical conductivity and pH for these samples was measured as 36–868 µS/cm (average: 296 µS/cm) and 6.8–8.2 (average: 7.2), respectively. Radon activity concentration for these water samples was measured using scintillation-based radon monitor, immediately after sampling at the location site. Radon activity concentration was measured as 0.6–81.9 Bq/L with an average value of 17.8 Bq/L. The paper also estimates the annual effective ingestion dose (µSv/y), annual effective inhalation dose (µSv/y) and total effective dose (µSv/y) attributable to radon in drinking water samples.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Board of Research in Nuclear Science (BRNS), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)Project Ref. 36(4)/14/2016-BRNS, Mumbai, India, for extending their laboratory facilities for conducting the experimental work and funding for this research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Uttarakhand Science Education and Research Centre, Dehradun, 248006, India

    Prakhar Singh & O. P. Nautiyal

  2. Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400094, India

    Manish Joshi

  3. Department of Physics, Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar, 249404, India

    Ankur Kumar

  4. Department of Physics, Shri Guru Ram Rai PG College, Dehradun, 248001, India

    Taufiq Ahamad

  5. Department of Physics, Govt. PG College, Tehri Garhwal, New Tehri, 249001, India

    Kuldeep Singh

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  1. Prakhar Singh
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Correspondence to Ankur Kumar.

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Singh, P., Nautiyal, O.P., Joshi, M. et al. Assessment of physicochemical and radon-attributable radiological parameters of drinking water samples of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 330, 1559–1570 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-08056-5

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