Radon emanation from soil and groundwater and surface gamma dose rate in Budhakedar, Garhwal Himalayas, India

Radon was measured in soil-gas and groundwater in the Budhakedar area of Tehri Garhwal, India and related to the gamma dose rate in the same area. A laboratory experiment was also performed to measure the radon exhalation rate from soil samples collected from the same area. Radon exhalation rate from collected soil samples was found to vary from 0.1 x 10(-5) Bq center dot kg(-1)center dot h(-1) to 5.7 x 10(-5) Bq center dot kg(-1)center dot h(-1) with an average of 1.5 x 10(-5) Bq center dot kg(-1)center dot h(-1). Radon concentration in soil and groundwater of the Budhakedar area varies from 1098 to 311,77613 Bq center dot m(-3) with an average value of 7456 Bq center dot m(-3), and from 8 to 3047 Bq center dot L-1 with an average value 510 Bq center dot L-1, respectively. Surface gamma dose rate in the study area varied from 32.4 to 83.6 mu R center dot h(-1) with an overall mean of 58.7 mu R center dot h(-1). The observed value of the gamma dose rate was not found to be related to the value of radon concentration in groundwater but a weak positive correlation was observed between the gamma dose rate and soil-gas radon concentration. A weak negative correlation was observed between radon exhalation rate from soil and radon concentration in the soil. Radon exhalation rate from the soil was also not found to be correlated with the gamma dose rate, while it shows a positive correlation with radon concentration in water.