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Quantification of radon concentration in groundwater around abandoned Gogi uranium mineralized zone, Yadagir district, Karnataka, India

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Abstract

Radon activity concentrations have been measured by analysing a total of 93 bore well water samples, geographically spread over three taluks of Yadagir district. The analysis involved usage of Durridge’s RAD7 radon analyser equipment with RAD-H2O accessories by closed loop aeration concept. Having geometric mean concentrations of 37.0, 20.75 and 9.98 Bq/L, radon concentration in 5.71, 14.29 and 6.67% groundwater samples from Yadagir (8.88 Bq/L < Rn < 160 Bq/L), Shahapur (1.98 Bq/L < Rn < 591 Bq/L) and Surpur (0.586 Bq/L < Rn < 206 Bq/L) taluks respectively exceeded the alternative maximum contaminant level (AMCL) of the USEPA (148 Bq/L). Nearly 15% of the groundwater samples had radon concentrations higher than WHO reference level of 100 Bq/L. The calculated total annual effective dose in 38.71, 44.09, and 55.92% of the samples respectively for infants, children and adults was not in consistent with WHO recommended dose level of 100 µSv/y.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Government of India, Mumbai as the radon analysis would have not been possible without their financial assistance to procure RAD7 radon analyser.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, Bangalore University, Bangalore, 560056, India

    P. Ravikumar, Kumara Naika, K. L. Prakash & R. K. Somashekar

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  1. P. Ravikumar
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  2. Kumara Naika
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  3. K. L. Prakash
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  4. R. K. Somashekar
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Correspondence to P. Ravikumar.

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Ravikumar, P., Naika, K., Prakash, K.L. et al. Quantification of radon concentration in groundwater around abandoned Gogi uranium mineralized zone, Yadagir district, Karnataka, India. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 329, 489–498 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-07814-9

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