Department of Physics, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190006, India.
School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
Environ Geochem Health. 2024 Aug 2;46(9):359. doi: 10.1007/s10653-024-02088-y.
This study investigates the radon concentration in groundwater in Kupwara, the northernmost district of the Kashmir valley. It further assesses the annual effective dose experienced by the district's diverse population-infants, children, and adults-attributable to both inhalation of airborne radon released from drinking water and direct ingestion. In addition to this, the calculation of gamma dose rate is also carried out at each of the sampling site of radon. A portable radon-thoron monitor and a portable gamma radiation detector were respectively employed to estimate the activity concentration of radon in water samples and to measure the gamma dose rate. The radon concentration was found to exhibit variability from a minimum of 2.9 BqL to a maximum of 197.2 BqL, with a mean of 26.3 BqL and a standard deviation of 23.3 BqL. From a total of 85 samples, 10.6% of the samples had radon activity concentrations exceeding the permissible limits of 40 BqL set by the United Nations Scientific Committee on Effects of Atomic Radiations as reported by UNSCEAR (Sources and effects of ionizing radiation, 2008) and only 1.2% of the samples have radon activity concentration exceeding the permissible limits of 100 BqL set by the World Health Organization as reported by WHO (WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2008). The mean of the annual effective dose due to inhalation for all age groups as well as the annual ingestion dose for infants and children, surpasses the World Health Organization's limit of 100 μSv y as reported by WHO (WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2008). The observed gamma radiation dose rate in the vicinity of groundwater radon sites ranged from a minimum of 138 nSv h to a maximum of 250 nSv h. The data indicated no significant correlation between the dose rate of gamma radiation and the radon levels in the groundwater. Radon concentration of potable water in the study area presents a non-negligible exposure pathway for residents. Therefore, the judicious application of established radon mitigation techniques is pivotal to minimize public health vulnerabilities.
本研究调查了克什米尔山谷最北部的库普瓦拉地区地下水中的氡浓度。此外，还评估了该地区不同人群（婴儿、儿童和成人）因吸入饮用水中释放的氡气以及直接摄入而产生的年有效剂量。此外，还在每个氡采样点进行了伽马剂量率的计算。便携式氡-钍监测仪和便携式伽马辐射探测器分别用于估算水样中氡的活度浓度，并测量伽马剂量率。氡浓度的最小值为 2.9 Bq/L，最大值为 197.2 Bq/L，平均值为 26.3 Bq/L，标准偏差为 23.3 Bq/L。在总共 85 个样本中，有 10.6%的样本氡活度浓度超过联合国原子辐射效应科学委员会（UNSCEAR）报告的 40 Bq/L 的允许限值（来源和电离辐射的影响，2008 年），只有 1.2%的样本氡活度浓度超过世界卫生组织（WHO）报告的 100 Bq/L 的允许限值（世界卫生组织饮用水水质准则，世界卫生组织，日内瓦，2008 年）。所有年龄段人群因吸入而导致的年有效剂量平均值以及婴儿和儿童的年摄入剂量均超过世界卫生组织（WHO）报告的 100 μSv/y 的限值（世界卫生组织饮用水水质准则，世界卫生组织，日内瓦，2008 年）。地下水氡点附近观测到的伽马辐射剂量率最小值为 138 nSv/h，最大值为 250 nSv/h。数据表明，伽马辐射剂量率与地下水中的氡水平之间没有显著的相关性。研究区域饮用水中的氡浓度对居民构成了不容忽视的暴露途径。因此，明智地应用既定的氡缓解技术对于降低公众健康脆弱性至关重要。
