Toxicological risk and age-dependent radiation dose assessment of uranium in drinking water in southwest-central districts of Haryana State, India

• Published in: TERI information digest on energy and environment Vol. 20; no. 2; p. 234
• Main Authors: Duggal, V, Sharma, S, Singh, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi The Energy and Resources Institute 01.06.2021
• Subjects: Age; Cancer; Dissolved solids; Drinking water; Fluorimetry; Groundwater; Health risks; Morbidity; Radiation; Radiation dosage; Total dissolved solids; Toxicity; Uranium; Water sampling; India
• ISSN: 0972-6721; 1875-9297

The concentrations of uranium in 105 groundwater samples collected from Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri districts of Haryana State, India were determined using LED fluorimetry to estimate annual effective dose, cancer, and chemical toxicity risks for inhabitants of these areas. Uranium concentrations varied from 1 to 300 µg/L with an average value of 28 pg/L and a median of 15 µg/L. Approximately 25% of the samples exceeded the provisional guideline value of 30 µg/L recommended by the World Health Organization. The age-dependent annual effective doses varied from 1.1 to 753 pSv/year with an average value of 47 pSv/y. Infants have received relatively high mean annual effective doses compared to the other age groups. The average value of cancer mortality and cancer morbidity risk was found as 4.1 × 10-5 and 6.3 × 10-5, respectively, which are lower than the Indian permissible limit of 1.67 × 10-4. The lifetime average daily doses of uranium varied from 0.03 to 8.57 µg/(kg day). A positive correlation was observed between uranium concentration and total dissolved solids.