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A comprehensive study is conducted to determine the elemental concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in surface soil samples collected from four well-populated districts of central part of Haryana, India. NaI(Tl) gamma ray spectrometer is used for measurement of 238U, 232Th and 40K in soil samples and SMART RnDuo is used for estimation of exhalation rate in soil samples. Average values of activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K are 27.9 ± 6.0 Bqkg−1, 34.0 ± 6.6 Bqkg−1 and 306.9 ± 15.9 Bqkg−1, respectively. Radium equivalent activity is lower than the recommended limits with an average value of 97.98 Bqkg−1. Absorbed dose rates in air outdoors, effective dose rates for indoor and outdoor, internal and external hazard index, radium equivalent activities and annual effective dose are measured in soil sample of the study area. A weak positive correlation is observed between radionuclides and exhalation rate.

Ionizing radiations are continuously exposed to human being. Natural radionuclides are available in different amount in environment. Uranium is found everywhere in water, rocks, soil and building material. Ground water is the main source of drinking water. So it becomes important to review the water quality of north India in view of uranium. Uranium is inhaled through drinking water in human body. In this regard, an extensive data has been compiled and reviewed in this article from North India and compared with safe limits from worldwide data. The majority of the reported articles are about monitoring of uranium concentration in water samples. Most of the reported data have been obtained using Fission track technique, ICPMS, laser fluorimetery and LED fluorimetery.

This study, reports the exhalation rates of radon and thoron from surface soil collected from 60 rural sites of district Hisar, Haryana, India. The exhalation rates of Rn222 (Radon)& Rn220(Thoron) were measured by portable SMART RnDuo (AQTEK SYSTEMS) using a mass accumulation chamber which is equipped with a scintillation material coated cell. Dose rate due to Natural gamma radiations ranged 0.526 to 1.139 mSv y− 1. The Rn222mass exhalation rate in soil samples varied from 0.14 to 94.65 mBq kg− 1 h− 1. Thoron surface exhalation rates ranged 46.42 to 619.88 mBq m− 2 h− 1. This study give an idea about the differences in Rn222 & Rn220 exhalation at different locations which may be due to variations in geological structure of the locations and characteristics of the top soil.The findings show that using soil of the study area as building material is safe.

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