Ingestion/inhalation dose due to intake of 222Rn in the water of district Gurugram, Southern Haryana, India, measured by alpha scintillometry technique.

Radon in water has exposure to the population through ingestion and inhalation. In the present paper, radon levels in fifty-eight samples from different underground water sources (borewell, handpump, tap water, which are used for drinking purposes) and surface water sources (pond, canal) located in district Gurugram, Southern Haryana, India, measured. SMART RnDuo (having ZnS:Ag detector) based on alpha scintillometry technique was used for this purpose. The dissolved radon in water ranged from 1.1 to 15.2 BqL−1 with a mean value of 6.8BqL−1. Radon in drinking water samples was about six times higher than the surface water samples in district Gurugram. A trend of increase in radon level with an increase in source depth was observed. Annual effective doses due to ingestion (AEDing) and inhalation (AEDinh) were calculated for different age groups. Total annual effective doses due to AEDing and AEDinh are varied from 8.6 to 118.7µSv y−1 with a mean value of 53.1µSv y−1 for infants, 4.9 to 67.9µSv y−1 with a mean value of 30.3µSv y−1 for children, and 5.6 to 77.1µSv y−1 with a mean value of 34.5µSv y−1 for adults. Radon in water samples was found to be less than the guideline value of 100 BqL−1 recommended by the World Health Organization, indicating that water sources are suitable for use by the public and have no radiological hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]