Assessment of indoor radiation level in the environs of the uranium deposit area of West Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya, India

An estimation of the indoor background radiation dose distribution was carried out in dwellings of eleven villages located within and around the uranium mineralization area of Kylleng-Pyndensohiong, Mawthabah in West Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya, India. The ambient indoor gamma radiation level...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental radioactivity 2009-11, Vol.100 (11), p.965-969
Main Authors: War, S.A., Nongkynrih, P., Khathing, D.T., Iongwai, P.S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air Pollution, Indoor - analysis
Applied sciences
Atmospheric pollution
Biological and medical sciences
Biological effects of radiation
Buildings. Public works
Dosimeters
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gamma Rays
India
Indoor
Indoor pollution and occupational exposure
Indoor radiation dose
Inhabitants
Kylleng-Pyndensohiong, Mawthabah
Mining
Pollution
Pollution indoor buildings
Radiation Monitoring - methods
Radioactive Waste - analysis
Radioactivity
Radiocontamination
Radon - analysis
Radon/thoron concentration
Solid state nuclear track detectors
Thermo luminescence dosimeters
Thoron
Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics
Uranium
Uranium - analysis
Villages
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Summary:An estimation of the indoor background radiation dose distribution was carried out in dwellings of eleven villages located within and around the uranium mineralization area of Kylleng-Pyndensohiong, Mawthabah in West Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya, India. The ambient indoor gamma radiation level was monitored using Thermo Luminescence Dosimeters (TLDs) while the indoor radon and thoron concentration was measured using twin-cup dosimeters employing Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs). Results obtained from the study reveals that the local inhabitants of villages located close to the mining site receive higher doses than those inhabitants of villages located at a much farther distance from the mining site. The average total annual effective dose was found to be varying from 1.2 mSv y −1 in the village of Langpa to 3.4 mSv y −1 in the village of Nongbah Jynrin. The data obtained will serve as a reference in documenting changes to environmental radioactivity if mining is to be carried out in the future.
ISSN:0265-931X
1879-1700
DOI:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2009.07.008