Abstract
Radon is a naturally occurring colourless and odourless radioactive gas that is soluble in water and is the main source of radioactivity of groundwater. Use of radon contaminated groundwater increased the radon levels in the air, especially in poorly ventilated houses, which is hazardous to health. Ingestion of such water for quite long period may lead to stomach cancer. The drinking water standards proposed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) exclude the permissible concentration of radon in drinking water. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 1991 proposed a Maximum Concentration Level (MCL) of 11.1 Bq/l for public water supply. The water samples from the bore wells in Tumkur district of Karnataka show radon concentrations in the range of 5 to 250 Bq/l. Ninety percentages of the samples show radon levels above the permissible limit as per USEPA. The spatial variation and geological control over radon concentration in groundwater in the area and sampling sensitivity are discussed here. The study was conducted during March 2012.
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Md, N.K., Vinayachandran, N., Jose, B. et al. Radon in groundwater in Tumkur district of Karnataka with special reference to sampling sensitivity. J Geol Soc India 83, 665–668 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-014-0097-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-014-0097-z