Concentrations of uranium in drinking water and cumulative, age-dependent radiation doses in four districts of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The present work deals with the determination of uranium concentrations in drinking and ground water samples by laser fluorimetry and calculation of cumulative, age-dependent radiation doses to humans. The concentrations were found to be between 0.20 ± 0.03 and 64.0 ± 3.6 μg L−1, with an average of 11.1 ± 1.5 μg L−1, well within the drinking water limit of regulatory bodies. The concentrations of uranium increase with depth of water samples collection. The estimated annual ingestion dose due to the intake of uranium through drinking water for all age groups varied between 0.2 and 137 μSv a−1, with an average of 17.3 μSv a−1. The mean annual ingestion dose is 5% of the global average ingestion dose, for infants, marginally higher than for other age group. Most effective dose values were less than 20 μSv a−1. © 2014, © 2014 Taylor & Francis.