Abstract
We report here for the very first time ever, a discovery of significant presence of radon in hot spring waters of Odisha in eastern India. Samples of water collected from two hot springs of Atri and Tarabalo of Odisha possess Rn in concentrations of 0.03 × 10−10 Ci/l of water and 19.16 × 10−10 Ci/l of water, respectively. While the Rn content of Atri hot spring is low, the Rn content of Tarabalo is significant and comparable to that of the famous hot springs of Hiroshima in Japan that average around 80 × 10−10 Ci/l of water. Uranium bearing sandstones, mudstones and shales of the underlying Athgarh Sandstones of Gondwanas appear to be the source of Rn.
Waters of Atri and Tarabalo contain small amounts of organic matter, and Tarabalo also contains minor counts of bacteria, which could be easily eliminated with proper maintenance, and these two hot springs can be developed into major health and tourist resorts.
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