A comparative study of radon levels in Himalayan springs and hand pumps using scintillation and semiconductor detectors

The levels of radon in groundwater is mainly governed by the radium content in the rocks of aquifer. In this study, radon concentrations were measured in springs and hand pumps of Garhwal Himalaya, India using scintillation detector based RnDuO and semiconductor detector based RAD7 techniques. The ingestion and inhalation doses associated with the internal exposure to radon in water were estimated using the measured values of activity concentrations. The measured radon values in water were observed to be higher than the recommended reference limits. A comparison of results obtained with RnDuO and RAD7 techniques and their usefulness in radiation measurements is discussed in the paper. The experimental techniques and results obtained are discussed in details. (author)