Concentrations of Radon in the Water of Balakot-Bagh Fault Line Region, Lesser Himalayas, North Pakistan

Abstract

Radon in drinking water poses radiation-related health risks. Investigating water-related health problems is indispensable, so the goal of the study was to determine how much radon was present in drinking water sources close to and far from the Balakot-Bagh (B-B) fault line (the site of a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in 2005) using the alpha-spectroscopy-based active method RAD-7. The sampling timeframe for the study was from May 16 to August 15, 2020. The radon level of the well water was higher, with an average value of 20.6 BqL^–1. These values were 19.5 and 9.3 BqL^–1 in spring and surface waters, respectively, although they were 7.7 and 5.5 BqL^–1 far away from the fault line, respectively, while in well water its content (activity) was 14.9 BqL^–1. The mean values for all water sources far and close from the fault line were 9.3 and 16.5 BqL^–1, respectively. The value close to the fault line exceeds the maximum contamination limit recommended in the United States of 11.1 BqL^–1, although the values far from the fault line were within limits. The doses determined from the radon levels of spring, well, and surface waters were 0.053, 0.056, and 0.025 mSv per year, respectively, and the mean dose of overall water-borne radon was 0.045 mSv. Based on regional comparisons, the mean radon concentrations in the drinking water sources for this study were higher than in Romania, Turkey, Italy, Poland, and India.