Assessment of groundwater radioactivity and radiological health risk around a coal-based thermal power plant
摘要
This study evaluated the radioactivity levels and associated radiological health risks of groundwater surrounding a coal-based super thermal power plant in Jhajjar district, Haryana, India. A total of seventy groundwater samples were gathered from thirty-five locations within a 20 km radius, along with five background sites located beyond that distance and were analysed for 40K, 238U, and 232Th using a Sodium Iodide, Thallium-activated (NaI (Tl)) scintillation detector. The activity concentrations in the 20 km area varied from 0.11 to 37.72 Bq/L for 40K (with an average of 8.14 ± 0.37 Bq/L), 0.01 to 3.13 Bq/L for 238U (average 0.82 ± 0.07 Bq/L), and 0.01 to 3.52 Bq/L for 232Th (average 0.45 ± 0.04 Bq/L). These levels were notably higher than the regional background levels measured beyond 20 km. The Annual Effective Dose and the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk derived from radiological parameters showed the variation from 0.047 to 0.489 mSv y⁻1, and 1.64 × 10⁻4 to 17.12 × 10⁻4 respectively. Approximately 60% of the groundwater samples exceeded the WHO (