Radiological impact assessment of soil and groundwater of Himalayan regions in Uttarakhand, India

In this study, we present the results of measurements and radiological impact of natural radioactivity in soil and groundwater of the Himalayan region in the Uttarakhand State of India. The concentrations of primordial radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) in soil samples of the study area were determined using gamma-ray spectrometry by employing the NaI(Tl) detector. The concentrations of radon and uranium were also measured in potable groundwater samples using RAD7 and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS) techniques, respectively. The average specific activities of 226Ra (116 Bq kg−1), 232Th (137 Bq kg−1) and 40K (735 Bq kg−1) in soil were found considerably higher than the corresponding global average values. The average concentrations of radon (35 Bq l−1) and uranium (1.3 µg l−1) in potable groundwater were found well within the safe limits recommended by the World Health Organization. The effects of natural radioactivity in soil and groundwater are discussed in terms of different risk assessment parameters and dose quantities.