Radon levels in drinking water and soil samples of Jodhpur and Nagaur districts of Rajasthan, India

Radon causes lung cancer when it is trapped inside the lungs. Therefore it is very important to analyze the radon concentration in water and soil samples. In the present investigation, water and soil samples collected from 20 different locations of Jodhpur and Nagaur districts of Northern Rajasthan, India have been studied by using RAD7. The measured radon concentration in water samples varies from 0.5 to 15 Bq l(-1). The observed values lie within the safe limit as set by UNSCEAR, 2008. The total annual effective dose due to radon in water corresponding to all studied locations has been found to be well within the safe limit of 0.1 mSv y(-1) as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO, 2004) and European Council (EU, 1998). The measurements carried out on radon concentration in soil samples reveal a variation from 1750 to 9850 Bq m(-3). These results explore that the water of Jodhpur and Nagaur districts is suitable for drinking purpose without posing any health hazard but soil hazards depend upon its permeability and radon concentration. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.