Monitoring of outdoor natural gamma absorbed dose rate in air in Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Abstract

Abstract The Indian Environmental Radiation Monitoring Network continuously monitors the outdoor natural gamma absorbed dose rate in air at different locations throughout India by employing Geiger–Mueller (GM) detector-based field-installed environmental radiation monitors (ERMs). Hyderabad, Telangana, India is known to have high natural background radiation levels due to the presence of high concentrations of primordial radionuclides in its granitic rocks. There are a total of 59 ERMs installed at various locations across Hyderabad. Long-term monitoring data of these locations are presented in this paper. The mean values of outdoor natural gamma absorbed dose rate in air at the monitoring locations were found to vary in the range of 104–258 nGy.h−1 with a mean of 193 ± 40 nGy.h−1. The mean annual effective dose due to outdoor natural gamma radiation was estimated to be 0.24 ± 0.05 mSv.y−1. Analysis of the long-term seasonal variation of outdoor natural gamma absorbed dose rate in air showed that the same was lowest during monsoons.