Mapping of outdoor gamma radiation and consequential health risk assessment in north-eastern regions of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Living beings get inevitable exposure to radiation of which approximately half of the dose is due to natural background radiation. In the present study, an extensive and systematic survey of outdoor GDR (GDR) was carried out in Churu and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan. A total of 687 locations were covered to quantify the outdoor GDR. The portable radiation monitor, based on the Geiger-Muller counter, was used to monitor the outdoor gamma dose, and its associated health risk was estimated. Outdoor GDRs were found to vary from 32 nSv/h to 231 nSv/h and 75 nSv/h to 188 nSv/h in Churu and Jhunjhunu districts, respectively. The annual effective dose at most locations of the study area was greater than 0.07 nSv/h but less than the 1 mSv/y permissible limit recommended by the ICRP. The excess lifetime cancer risk in Churu district was estimated and found to range from 0.147 × 10⁻³ to 1.063 × 10⁻³, while in Jhunjhunu district it was 0.345 × 10⁻³ to 0.865 × 10⁻³

Keywords:

• AED
• cancer risk
• gamma dose
• mapping
• outdoor
• Rajasthan

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to acknowledge members of TSC-4, NRFCC, BRNS; HPD, HS&E Group, BARC, and NUP, for their continuous support in the execution of the project. The authors are also thankful to Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak for providing all the facilities required to carry out this project. The authors acknowledge the technical help for ArcGIS by Mr. Abhishek Kumar, Research Scholars, Department of Geography, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this manuscript and detailed data can be shared on request.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Board Research in Nuclear Sciences, Department of Atomic Energy under National Uranium Project with sanction no. 36(4)/14/18/2017-BRNS dated 04-12-2017.