Estimation of radium and radon in the environmental samples using solid state nuclear track detectors

Indoor radon measurements in some dwellings of Rajasthan and Delhi areas have been carried out using LR-115 type II Cellulose Nitrate films in the bare mode. The radon values vary from 22.30 Bq/m3 to 219.3 Bq/m3 in the Delhi region and 55.76 Bq/m3 to 107.80 Bq/m3 in the Rajasthan areas, which is well within the recommended action level. The radon concentration in water samples of some locations of Rajasthan and Delhi have also been measured by using RAD 7. The radon values vary from 0.581 Bq/I to 1.54 Bq/I in the Delhi region and from 0.0342 Bq/I to 3.45 Bq/I in the Rajasthan region. The radium concentration in soil samples have been found to vary from 1.744 Bq/Kg to 5.039 Bq/Kg in the Delhi region and from 1.976 Bq/Kg to 2.907 Bq/Kg in the Rajasthan region. The values are found to be within the safe limits. The results reveal that these areas are safe from the health hazard point of view as the radioactivity is concerned. A weak correlation has been observed between radon and radium. (author)