BARC/PUB/10//0753

 
 

Assessment of natural uranium and 226Ra concentration in ground water around the uranium mine at Narwapahar, Jharkhand, India and its radiological significance

 
     
 
Author(s)

Rana, B. K.; Tripathi, R. M.; Sahoo, S. K.; Sethy, N. K.; Sribastav, V. S.; Shukla, A. K.; Puranik, V. D.

ABSTRACT

A brief study on dissolved radionuclides in aquatic environment, especially in ground water, constitutes the key aspect for assessment and control of natural exposure. In the present study the distribution of natural uranium and 226Ra concentration were measured in ground water samples collected within a 10 km radius around the Narwapahar uranium mine in the Singhbhum thrust belt of Jharkhand, India in 2007-2008. The natural uranium content in the ground water samples in this region was found to vary from 0.1 to 3.75  µL-1 with an average of 0.87 ± 0.73 µg L-1 and Ra concentration was found to vary from 5.2 to 38.1 mBq L-1 with an average of 13.73  ± 7.34 mBq L-1. The mean annual ingestion dose due to intake of natural uranium and 226Ra through drinking water pathway to male and female adults population was estimated to be 6.55 and 4.78 µSv y-1, respectively, which constitutes merely a small fraction of the reference dose level of 100 µSv y-1 as recommended by WHO. 

 
 
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