Health risk assessment due to radon ingestion from drinking water in the lower Kumaun Himalayan region, India
摘要
The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recognizes radon as a potent carcinogen, with even low-level exposure capable of inducing DNA damage and increasing lung cancer risk. To address growing concerns over radionuclide contamination in Himalayan groundwater, this study quantifies ingestion-based radon exposure across the Kumaun Himalaya, India, using the SMART RnDuo scintillation system. Radon concentration was measured in the drinking water samples and its concentration varied from 1.6 ± 0.001 to 8.8 ± 0.008 Bq L−1 (with AM ± SD = 3.9 ± 1.8 Bq L−1). The calculated annual effective dose was found higher than the World Health Organization guidelines limit (100 µSvy−1) for the males of 14–18 years, adult males and also for lactating women of age group 14–50 years while it was measured below the World Health Organization guidelines limit for all other age groups. The obtained results will be important for evaluating potential health risks and have implications for epidemiological research and radioactive contamination in the study region.