Estimation of radiation dose due to ingestion of radon in water samples of Garhwal Himalaya, India

The measurements of radon concentrations in drinking water sources in and around the Main Central Thrust (MCT) region in Garhwal Himalaya, India, were carried out using the scintillation detector-based SMART RnDuo technique for radiation protection purposes. Radon values in the analyzed samples were observed between 1.1 and 183.9 Bq L −1 (AM = 19.7 Bq L −1 ). Radon values in 94% of the samples were found well below the World Health Organization (WHO) reference limit. The estimated radiation doses for different age groups were found higher than the WHO safe limit of 100 µSv y −1 (from all sources including radon) except for the age groups of 0–12 months infants and 1–3 years children. The results of this study may be useful for future studies on epidemiology, examining hidden faults, uranium exploration etc.