Radium concentration and radon exhalation measurements in the water around thermal power plants of north India

Abstract

Samples of water from different thermal power plants in northern India have been collected and analysed for radium and radon concentration. For the measurements, α-sensitive LR-115 type II plastic track detectors are used. The radium and radon levels measured in some samples are high and thus unsafe from health point of view. Based upon the available data,

the radon exhalation rates have been calculated. The radium concentration varies from 1.11 to 3.11 Bq l^-l and the radon concentration varies from 10.64 to 29.78 pCi l^-l. The radon mass exhalation rates vary from 8.95 to 25.08 mBq kg^-1 hr^-1 and surface exhalation rates vary from 245. 21 to 690.24 mBq m^-2 hr^-1 in different water samples.