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ABSTRACT

Background:

and soils with which it comes in contact. There is dual exposure from radon in water i.e. due to

inhalation of the radon released from the water into the ambient air and through ingestion when

water is used for drinking. As radon contaminated water adversely affects the health, it is

therefore fundamental from health and hygiene point of view to measure radium concentration

and radon exhalation rates in water.

Dissolved radon is contained in natural water due to primordial uranium in rocks

Materials and Methods

radium concentration and radon exhalation rate in water samples collected from various thermal

springs. The alpha tracks registered were counted by optical microscope at suitable magnification

and converted into radium concentration and subsequently radon exhalation rates were measured.

: LR-115, Type- II plastic track detectors were used to measure the

Results:

m

varied from 5.65 Bq l

exhalation rates varied from 2.37 mBq kg

± 0.36 mBq kg

The radon concentration emanated from water samples (air borne) varied from 84 Bq-3 to 827 Bq m-3 with an average of 429 ± 12.72 Bqm-3 and the dissolved radon concentration-1 to 55.66 Bq l-1 with an average of 28.88± 0.85 Bq l-1. The radon mass-1 hr-1 to 23.39 mBq kg-1 hr-1 with an average of 12.14-1 hr-1 and surface exhalation rates from 52.34 mBq m-2 hr-1 to 515.29 mBq m-2 hr-1

with an average of 267.36 ± 7.93 from different thermal spring water samples.

concentration varied from 0.30 Bq l

 The radium-1 to 2.93 Bq l-1 with an average of 1.52 ± 0.045 Bq l-1.

Conclusion:

drinking, is safe as far as radium concentration is concerned with the exception of a few isolated

thermal spring sources.

Results indicate that the thermal spring water, which is also being used forIran. J. Radiat. Res., 2005 2 (4): 197-204

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Background: The present research has focused on the effect of radioactivity on drinking water from five sites in the region of Zahedan city. Materials and Methods: The measurement of water activity in wells, river and spring has been used as a screening method. The determination of gamma emitters was performed by use the application of gamma spectrometry. Results: The values of Radium concentration was between less than 2 mBq/l to 3±0.4 for water wells, 5±0.4 mBq/L for river, and less than 2 mBq/L for spring. Conclusion: All values of activity in the selected water samples were lower than the permissible limit for drinking water consumption. The water was safe for drinking, washing and agricultural use.

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Background: Everyone is exposed to radon because it is present everywhere with varying concentrations. Radon and its progeny are well established as lung carcinogenic. Materials and Methods: Track etch technique using LR-115 plastic track detectors has been used to measure the effective radium content and radon exhalation rates in soil samples collected from urban area of Etah district of Uttar Pradesh province in Northern India. Results: The values of effective radium content are found to vary from 27.87 to 45.14 Bq.kg^-1 with a mean value of 34.98 Bq.kg^-1. The mass exhalation rates of radon vary from 2.38 × 10^-6 to 3.86 × 10^-6 Bq.kg^-1.d^-1 with a mean value of 2.99 × 10-6 Bq.kg^-1.d^-1. The surface exhalation rates of radon have been found to vary from 6.19 × 10^-5 to 10.03 × 10^-5 Bq.m^-2.d^-1 with a mean value of 7.77 × 10^-5 Bq.m^-2.d^-1. Conclusion: Radon exhalation study is important for understanding the relative contribution of the material to the total radon concentration found inside the dwellings. The values of radium and radon exhalation rates are found to be below the safe limit recommended by OECD, 1979. Iran. J. Radiat. Res., 2011 8(4): 207-210

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Background: Health hazards associated with exposure due to the natural radioactivity which is a part of our physical environment are of great concern. In order to assess the risks associated with exposure due to the natural radioactivity in soil and building materials, extensive studies have been carried out all over the world. The most commonly encountered radionuclide’s are ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, their decay products and ⁴⁰K. Materials and Methods: In order to study the concentration of these radionuclides soil, sand, gravel aggregates, bricks and marble, samples were collected from different sites and local suppliers of the district Mirpur, Azad Kashmir (Pakistan). ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K activities in the collected samples were measured using HPGe detector. The measured specific radioactivity concentration of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in the studied samples ranged from 10 ±1 to 47 ± 2, 18 ± 1 to 75 ± 4 and 40 ± 3 to 683 ±3 Bq.kg-1, respectively. Results: From the measured activity concentration, radium equivalent activity, external and internal hazard indices, gamma and alpha indices, terrestrial absorbed dose and annual effective dose were calculated. Maximum value of radium equivalent activity of 197.1 ± 9 Bq.kg-1 was observed in soil sample whereas minimum value of 45.9 ± 2 Bq.kg-1 was found in gravel aggregates. Relatively higher mean values of hazard indices were found in brick samples. Annual effective dose varied from 0.06 ± 0.01 to 0.47 ± 0.02 mSv.y-1. Conclusion: Current values of annual effective dose, radium equivalent activity and hazard indices have been found to be within the recommended limits. Iran. J. Radiat. Res., 2011 9(2): 77-87

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Background: Natural radioactivity in materials under certain conditions can reach the hazardous radiological levels. So, it becomes necessary to study the natural radioactivity in different materials to assess the dose for the population in order to know the health risks and to have a baseline for future changes in the environmental radioactivity due to human activities. Materials and Methods: The present study deals with the measurement of radioactivity using “γ-ray spectrometry” from naturally occurring radionuclides in the soil, stone and sand samples used as building materials in North-Eastern Haryana state of India. The places are in the vicinity of Shivalik range of Himalayas. Results: The activity concentrations for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K varied from 18±1.5 to 156±6Bqkg‑1, 23±1 to 300±5Bqkg‑1 and 32±0.5 to 1705±14 Bqkg‑1 respectively in various samples. The absorbed dose rate in soil, sand and stone samples is investigated at 1 m above ground level. Ra equivalents, Internal and external hazard indices have also been calculated. Conclusion: The natural radioactivity levels measured in the samples under present study are below the recommended limits except for black stone (SB) and red stone (SR). However, these samples satisfy the universal standards. Iran. J. Radiat. Res., 2011 9(3): 187-194

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Background: Radon is an odourless, colourless and tasteless gas and it is the first cause of lung cancer among non- smokers. The assessment of the level of radium in building materials helps in understanding the radiological implications. It has been observed that everyone has some levels of exposure to them. Therefore measurement of radium and radon in the soil samples are important from public health point of view. Materials and Methods: In the present work, radon exhalation rate and radium from soil samples have been measured through “Sealed Can technique” using LR-115 type II plastic track detector. Twenty two samples were collected from industrial area of Bulandshahr, Hapur and Meerut districts of Uttar Pradesh (India). Results: The radium concentration ranges from 9.2 to 18.7 Bqkg^-1 with an average value of 14.1 Bqkg^-1. The area exhalation rate for radon ranges from 394.1 to 798.3 mBqm-2 h- 1 with an average value of 600.7 mBqm^-2 h^-1 and mass exhalation rate ranges from 15.1 to 30.7 mBqkg^-1h^-1 with an average value of 23.1 mBqkg^-1h^-1. A strong correlation coefficient has been observed between radium concentration and radon exhalation rate. Conclusion: The values of radium concentration in all the soil samples were found to be lower than the limit 370 Bqkg^-1 as recommended by OECD, 1979. Hence, there is no matter of concern to the population living in this region. Iran. J. Radiat. Res., 2012 10(2): 83‐87

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Background: The natural radionuclides are always present in soil and care needs to be taken to minimize the radiation dose to humans. These radionuclides are mostly gamma ray emitting radionuclides which contribute to the radiation dose in long term behavior of radionuclides in soil. Health hazards associated with natural radioactivity are of great concern and it is necessary to assess risk due to them. The most common radionuclides found are ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K. Materials and Methods: The activity concentration of natural radionuclides in the soil samples collected from South Konkan region of Maharashtra, India were analyzed using HPGe based gamma spectrometry. Results: The activity concentrations from the selected villages are found to be ranging from 24.78 ± 0.14 to 76.38 ± 0.31Bq kg-1 for 238U, 30.08 ± 0.14 to 96.18 ± 31Bq kg^-1 for ²³²Th and 105.34 ± 0.24Bq kg^-1 to 432.51 ± 0.48Bq kg^-1 for ⁴⁰K. The average absorbed dose rate in air was calculated as 66.89nGy h^-1.The annual effective dose rates were varied from 0.27mSv y^-1 to 0.85mSv y^-1 with an average of 0.49mSv y^-1. The mean radium equivalent activity value for soil samples of South Konkan was 144.84 Bq kg^-1 which is lower than 370Bqkg^-1 of world average. Conclusion: It is observed that the study area is free from hazards of Radium and its progeny nuclides like Radon. The external hazard index for all soil samples from South Konkan was lower than unity denoting that the villages from this study area are safe for human health.

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Background: Vegetation (food stuff) is grown in soil that contains many radioactive elements such as ²³⁸U (uranium), ²³²Th (thorium) and ⁴⁰K (potassium), which may get deposited either due to radioactive fallout or/and by absorption from the soil and can pose serious health hazards. Materials and Methods: Natural radioactivity, radiological hazards and annual effective dose assessment was carried out in vegetation samples (vegetables, cereals and fruits) collected from fields and market. Gamma spectrometry using HPGe detector was used. Results: The measured specific activity concentration of ²³⁸U (uranium), ²³²Th (thorium) and ⁴⁰K (potassium) varied from 10.25 ± 0.94 Bq/kg to 29.13 ± 0.69 Bq/kg, 22.20 ± 2.46 Bq/kg to 58.21 ± 1.15 Bq/kg, and 1158.4 ± 26.05 Bq/kg to 1962.2 ± 18.17 Bq/kg respectively in various vegetable and cereal samples and varied from 2.5 ± 0.16 Bq/kg to 9.8 ± 0.15 Bq/kg, 7.4 ± 1.24 Bq/kg to 18.4 ± 1.39 Bq/kg, and 287.13 ± 11.23 Bq/kg to 815.72 ± 12.50 Bq/kg respectively in various fruit samples studied in the present work. From these values, hazard indices, the minimum and maximum values of absorbed dose and indoor and outdoor annual effective doses were calculated for various samples used in the present investigation. Conclusion: The various values obtained were found to be within the recommended limits. The absorbed dose and annual effective dose for the vegetable and cereal samples in which fertilizers were used to enhance the crop yield were higher than that in fruit samples.

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Background: Natural radionuclides are always present in the environment. Human exposure to the background radiation is inevitable. It is therefore important to assess health risk associated with these radionuclides. Materials and Methods: The distribution of natural radionuclides ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in soil samples collected from all the twenty (20) local Governments headquarter areas in Ogun state, Nigeria were determined by gamma spectroscopy using a high-purity germanium detector. The measured concentrations were used in estimating the radiological risk pose to people living in these communities. Results: The activity concentrations measured ranged between 3 ± 1 Bqkg^-1(Otta) to 27 ± 6 Bqkg^-1(odeda) for ²³⁸U, 10 ± 1 Bqkg^-1(Otta) to 126 ± 6 Bqkg^-1(Ijebu Igbo) for ²³²Th and 7 ± 6 Bqkg^-1(Aiyetoro) to 497 ± 1 Bqkg^-1(Odeda) for ⁴⁰K. The mean radium equivalent calculated was 77.6 Bqkg^-1 which is lower than 370 Bqkg^-1 of the world average and the hazard indices calculated were lower than unity. Conclusion: The absorbed rate and annual effective dose estimated for most of the locations are in good agreement with world average values except for Akomoje, Ake-Abeokuta, Ogere, Ijebu-Igbo and Odeda. 

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Background: Radium-226 (²²⁶Ra) is a product of the ²³⁸U radionuclide decay series that significantly incorporated into the human body through water intake. It can also potentially cause a series of health problems including cancers of the digestive system. Radium-226 (²²⁶Ra) is a product of the ²³⁸U radionuclide decay series that significantly incorporated into the human body through water intake. It can also potentially cause a series of health problems including cancers of the digestive system. Materials and Methods: ²²⁶Ra has been determined in drinking water samples collected from various locations of Guilan province of Iran. The water samples are taken from public water and urban tap water sources. For evolution of gross a and b exposure precipitation method and proportional scintillator system was used. The radon emanation method was used to measure the radium concentration in drinking water. Results: The measurements showed the gross α and β concentration ranges were between <38 mBql^-1 to 92 mBql^-1 and <41 mBql^-1 to 328 mBql^-1, respectively. The radium concentration range was between 2 mBq l^-1 to 38.2 mBq l^-1. The resulting contribution to the annual effective dose due to the digestion of ²²⁶R in water was calculated to be between <0.4 μSv y^-1 to 7.8 μSv y^-1, respectively. Conclusion: The average concentration of ²²⁶Ra was found (7.6 mBq l^-1) in drinking water samples and the average annual effective dose, from the digestion of ²²⁶Ra in water samples was calculated to be 1.5 µSv y^-1. According to UNSCEAR, the annual effective dose value by ingestion is report to be 0.12 mSv y^-1.