An Assessment of Gamma Dose in Air near Yamuna River in Delhi, India

Abstract

Detectors play a crucial role in detecting radiation in the surroundings. Environment. They are used to detect radioactivity in soil, water and air. This study examined the natural radioactivity level in air that has been determined using GM counter (i.e. Gamma survey meter) near Yamuna River in Delhi. The main source of radiation in the environment are radioactive nuclei in soil and cosmic radiation. The naturally occurring radionuclides like ²³⁵U, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K and presence of Radon (²²⁰Rn) and Thoron (²²²Rn) in soil near Yamuna affect the radioactivity in air of that region. This study considered samples of air near Yamuna bank and Gamma dose in these air samples ranged from 0.320 mSv/y (milli Sievert) to 0.533 mSv/y (i.e. 3 µR/h (microRoentgen) to 5 µR/h) with average outdoor Gamma absorbed dose rate of 0.412 mSv/y which is within corresponding reference value that is 1mSv/y estimated by WHO in 2009 (World Health Organization), and this study did not find any potential health risk due to Gamma dose in study area.