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Evaluation of background radiation level and excess lifetime cancer risk in Doon valley, Garhwal Himalaya

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A Correction to this article was published on 29 January 2022

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Abstract

Radionuclides such as Ra-226, Th-232 & K-40 occurs naturally in the earth crust from its creation and are main contributor to the dose received by human beings. The present study was carried-out in the Doon valley which is outlined in the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) region of Garhwal Himalaya in Uttarakhand, India. The collected soil/rock samples were analyzed by NaI(Tl) Gamma ray spectrometry for the analysis of radionuclides and hence measuring the various health hazard indices and Excess lifetime cancer risk. Radionuclide (226Ra, 232Th & 40K) content were found to vary from 47 ± 9 to 442 ± 50 Bq Kg−1, 45 ± 17 to 101 ± 16 Bq Kg−1 & 320 ± 281 to 947 ± 197 Bq Kg−1 respectively and were higher than the world average values which are 35 Bq Kg−1, 30 Bq Kg−1 and 400 Bq Kg−1 respectively. Higher radionuclide content contributes to higher amount of absorbed doses which was found to vary from 93 to 259.6 ηGyh−1 with a mean value of 112.5 ηGyh−1 and Gamma index which found to vary from 0.73 to 1.92 with a mean value of 0.96. Lastly, on the basis of annual effective doses received to humanoid, Excess lifetime cancer risk was measured which varies from 0.48 × 10–3 to 1.34 × 10–3 with an average value of 0.65 × 10–3 and was much below the world’s average value of 1.45 × 10–3.

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Acknowledgements

Corresponding Author (TK) express his deep sense of gratitude to University Grant Commission (UGC), New Delhi, India for proving financial assistance in the form of research fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Govt. P.G. College Gopeshwar, Chamoli, 246401, India

    Tushar Kandari

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

    Prakhar Singh

  3. Department of Physics, Govt. P.G. College, New Tehri, Tehri Garhwal, 249001, India

    Poonam Semwal

  4. Department of Physics, Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidhyalaya, Haridwar, 249404, India

    Ankur Kumar

  5. Department of Physics, Badshahi Thaul Campus, HNB Garhwal University, Tehri Garhwal, 249199, India

    A. A. Bourai & R. C. Ramola

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  1. Tushar Kandari
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  4. Ankur Kumar
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Correspondence to Tushar Kandari.

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Kandari, T., Singh, P., Semwal, P. et al. Evaluation of background radiation level and excess lifetime cancer risk in Doon valley, Garhwal Himalaya. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 330, 1545–1557 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-07988-2

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