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A study to assess the uranium exposure due to ingestion of groundwater in Fatehabad district of Haryana has been carried out. Total 49 drinking water samples were collected from different locations of the district. Two groundwater tests taken near the power plant site exceeded the World Health Organization's recommended threshold limit of 30 μg L−1 (WHO in Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 4th edn, World Health Organization, Geneva, pp 1–564., 2011). The average radiological and chemical toxicity risks are below recommended limit. Because of their high organ sensitivity, babies are found to have the highest annual effective dose among the several life stage groups for which it was estimated. Positive correlations were found between the content of uranium in groundwater samples and EC, TDS, salinity, redox potential, and dissolved oxygen whereas a negative connection with pH has been noted. Organ-specific dosage resulting from uranium ingestion has been investigated using the hair compartment model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Naturally occurring radon 222Rn in indoor air is a significant cause of lung cancer and the houses are an important exposure location due to the large proportion of time spent at home. The indoor radon measurements have been carried out in some of the dwellings belonging to different villages of Fatehbad and Hisar districts of Western Haryana. LR-115 Type II plastic track detectors in bare mode were used for the measurement of indoor radon concentration for over a period of one year. The calculated annual average indoor radon concentration values vary from 126.3 Bq m−3 to 172.1 Bq m−3 with an average value of 145.21 Bq m−3, which is less than the recommended action level (200–300 Bq m−3). The values of annual effective dose vary from 2.16 mSv to 2.94 mSv which is less than the lower limit of the recommended action level (3–10 mSv). The measured values of lifetime fatality risk vary from 1.67 to 2.27 with an average value of 1.92. The winter to summer ratio calculated for the studied dwellings ranges from 0.86 to 2.15 with an average of 1.46. The results indicate that the indoor radon concentration is higher in winter season than in the summer season. An attempt has also been made to find a correlation between the ventilation conditions and the measured values of indoor radon concentration. In most of the cases the radon values are less in well ventilated houses than partially/poorly ventilated houses. The measured indoor radon concentration values for the studied area are on the higher side than the world average of 40 Bq m−3. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Indoor radon measurements in 60 dwellings belonging to 12 villages of Sirsa, Fatehbad and Hisar districts of western Haryana, India, have been carried out, using LR-115 type II cellulose nitrate films in the bare mode. The annual average indoor radon value in the studied area varies from 76.00 to 115.46Bqm−3, which is well within the recommended action level 200–300Bqm−3 (). The winter/summer ratio of indoor radon ranges from 0.78 to 2.99 with an average of 1.52. The values of annual average dose received by the residents and Life time fatality risk assessment due to variation of indoor radon concentration in dwellings of studied area suggests that there is no significance threat to the human beings due to the presence of natural radon in the dwellings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The measurements of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K using gamma spectrometry and measurements of radon concentration and exhalation rates using solid-state nuclear track (LR-115, Type-II plastic) detectors were used to assess a first-order exposure risk for people residing in the Fatehbad and Hissar districts in Western Haryana, India. The concentrations of radium, thorium and potassium in the soil samples varied from 19.24 Bq m-3 to 32.21 Bq m-3, 30.21 Bq m-3 to 64.25 Bq m-3 and 346.25 Bq m-3 to 607.32 Bq m-3, respectively, with average values of 26.46, 50.78 and 462.70 Bq m-3, respectively. The values of absorbed dose and annual effective dose (indoors and outdoors) were found to vary from 44.75 nGy h-1 to 75.44 nGy h-1, 0.22 mSv y-1 to 0.37 mSv y-1 and 0.05 mSv y-1 to 0.09 mSv y-1 respectively. The radon concentration and exhalation rates were also reported. The radium equivalent activities in all the soil samples were found to be lower than the limit (370 Bq kg-1) and the value of Hex in all the samples is less than unity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]