Geo-spatial analysis of radon in spring and well water using kriging interpolation method

Abstract

Radon activity concentration was measured in 101 springs and well water samples collected from Muzaffarabad city and its outskirts. Sixty springs and 41 well water samples were analyzed, using RAD7, an electronic radon detector manufactured by Durridge Company Inc., for the estimation of radon borne activities and their relevant effects. Results obtained show that for spring water, the water borne radon activity varied from 0.246 ± 0.348 to 34.36 ± 5.54 Bq L−1 with an average value of 10.16 ± 2.42 Bq L−1. For well water, the water borne radon activity varied from 0.86 ± 0.10 to 16.12 ± 0.22 Bq L−1 with an average value of 4.21 ± 0.13 Bq L−1. Concentration of radon borne activities were subsequently used for determination of inhalation and ingestion doses. The inhalation and ingestion doses for spring water samples varied from 0.0062 ± 0.0087 to 0.865 ± 0.14 mSv y−1 and 0.052± 0.073 to 7.22 ± 1.16 mSv y−1, respectively. The inhalation and ingestion doses for well water varied from 0.022 ± 0.0025 to 0.41 ± 0.0054 mSv y−1 and 0.18± 0.021 to 3.38 ± 0.045 mSv y−1, respectively. 33.33% of spring and 7.32% of well water samples were found with values above the recommendation levels of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (∼11.1 Bq L−1). As a single measurement cannot serve as a best estimate of the unsampled areas in the region, Kriging interpolation method, a geo-statistical method, was used to get an estimate of spatial distribution of water borne radon in the area of study. Kriging mapping shows that higher radon concentrations are found in areas with lithology consisting of sandstones, siltstones, shales and claystones.

Radiometric and radon exhalation rate analysis of Gahirat marble, Chitral Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

“…We have also corrected radon exhalation rate for back diffusion parameters. Corrected values of radon exhalation rate were measured using equation (15). (15) Where, ω=ελ Z0, is back diffusion constant for any particular material, Z0 is the depth of sample within CAN, C222Rn is the activity concentration of 222 Rn just over the surface of sample.…”

“…The 222 Rn gas within indoor environments can be inhaled by inhabitants followed by the emission of alpha particles and decay products that may deposit their energy to the tissues and ultimately leading to the lung cancer (11)(12) . Keeping in view the importance of the subject, many researchers across the globe have conducted radiometric and radon measurement surveys to get an estimate of natural radionuclides and radon exhalation rate in rocks, building materials, water and environmental samples (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18) . Researchers have investigated environmental samples for primordial and anthropogenic radionuclides.…”

Analysis of the Radon Concentrations in Natural Mineral and Tap Water Using Lucas Cells Technique

“…The inhalation dose (ED inh ) due to radon released from water is calculated accordingly to Eq. ( 3) (Khan et al, 2019).…”

A Spatial Agent-Based Model to Assess the Spread of Malaria in Relation to Anti-Malaria Interventions in Southeast Iran

“…Positive values are indicative of larger amounts of greenery and negative values are indicative of non-biomass (e.g., water) [42]. To receive continuous layers of average air temperature (in °C ) as well as relative humidity per month, we interpolated the point data measured at twelve stations in 2013-2014 across Sistan and Baluchestan by means of kriging [43]. We determined Euclidean distances from rivers and dams.…”