JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The natural sources contribute about 82 percent of the total radiation dose to human beings. These levels are usually low; however, chronic exposure to even low-level radiation is a social health concern as it may cause such biological effects as DNA damage or cancer. Environmental radioactivity is a common occurrence, as it is caused by radionuclides present in the crust of the Earth, the atmosphere and the cosmic environment, which are classified as primordial, cosmogenic or anthropogenic. Radionuclides such as Uranium-238, Thorium-232, and Potassium-40 dates back to the formation of the Earth and those such as Carbon-14 are produced by the cosmic ray interactions. Although there is high importance of monitoring these levels, there is a clear deficiency of documented data of baseline in rural settlements in Central India, that is in the Wardha district. To verify adherence to the safety limits of 1 mSv/year (to the population, above the natural background) of the safety of the radioactivity introduced by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and the International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP) it is therefore necessary to establish a local radiation profile of Village Sawangi.

Objective:

The objective of this study is to assess natural background radiation levels in Village Sawangi by measuring radiation exposure at strategic residential, agricultural, water-source, and construction locations using calibrated survey instruments. The study further aims to evaluate spatial variation in radiation distribution, estimate the annual effective dose using UNSCEAR conversion coefficients, identify potential radiation hotspots through spatial analysis, and compare the measured levels with national and international radiation safety standards established by the AERB and ICRP.

Methods:

The proposed observational research will be carried out in the developing rural-to-semi-urban village of Village Sawangi in the Deoli tehsil where land use and construction trends are rapidly evolving. A systematic survey of 15-20 strategic locations will be used in the research which will include: residential houses, agriculture farms, water sources, and construction sites. Sites will be chosen according to certain inclusion criteria with the consideration of commonly occurring village habitats without known initial radiation contamination that can be measured repeatedly. On the other hand, any sites that contain known radioactive waste industrial or medical or personal property on which consent is not given will be omitted. Calibrated portable gamma survey meters, ionization-based survey meters and TLD badge will be the data collection instruments. These quantifiable exposure rates will then be translated into an annual effective dose by use of the standard conversion coefficients that are offered by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR).

Results:

the study is to measure radiation levels at strategic points using calibrated survey meters, to assess spatial variation across residential and agricultural zones, to calculate the annual effective dose using UNSCEAR conversion coefficients, and to identify radiation hotspots through spatial analysis.

Conclusions:

This study will provide the first systematic assessment of natural background radiation levels in Village Sawangi, establishing a vital radiological baseline for a developing rural-to-semi-urban area. By identifying potential radiation "hotspots" and calculating the annual effective dose for residents, the research will determine whether the local environment complies with the safety limits of 1 mSv per year set by the AERB and ICRP. Ultimately, these findings will contribute to broader regional radiation mapping and serve as a critical reference for future public health surveillance and epidemiological research in the Wardha district. Clinical Trial: NA