Water Supply (Aug 2022)

Radiological safety assessment of drinking water in Darjeeling hill and foothill areas: An experimental finding

  • Mahasin Gazi,
  • Arindam Kumar Naskar,
  • Mitali Mondal,
  • Argha Deb

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2022.259
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 22, no. 8
pp. 6504 – 6515

Abstract

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This study intends to shed light on the radiological quality of potable water in one of the most important hill stations, Darjeeling, and its surrounding foothill areas of West Bengal, India, which has not yet been explored. A radon concentration measuring study has been carried out in 62 water samples collected from both natural springs (SW) and tube wells (TW) in the above mentioned area using an AlphaGUARD radon monitor. The measured maximum and minimum radon levels of drinking water samples collected from natural springs are 13.04 Bq/l and 0.43 Bq/l respectively while those for tube wells are 71.02 Bq/l and 1.02 Bq/l respectively. The average radon activities in the two water sources separately and together are 2.88 ± 0.41 and 25.67 ± 3.89 and 10.96 ± 1.97 Bq/l respectively. This study reveals that the average radon concentrations of water samples from both sources in this area are much below the reference level of 100 Bq/l as prescribed by the WHO and EU Commission. The evaluated radon activities are used to determine inhalation, ingestion and then total annual effective dose (AED). The average total AEDs for the two types of water sources separately and together (SW + TW) are 7.86 ± 1.11, 70.07 ± 10.64 and 29.93 ± 5.37 μSv/y respectively. The evaluated average total AEDs for the two types of drinking water sources separately and together are also much below the reference limit of 100 μSv/y prescribed by the above mentioned two agencies. It suggests that the drinking water of this region is radiologically safe so far as water-borne radon hazards are concerned. HIGHLIGHTS There has been no such measurement in the study area before.; Radon level measurement study was done for both natural springs and tube wells drinking water.; The study area is in a famous tourism spot and hence of national and international importance.; Annual effective dose due to radon exposure is evaluated.; Help protect the local people from radiological hazards due to water dissolved radon.;

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