Available online xxxKeywords: Radionuclide Uranium Radiological risk Toxicity Laser a b s t r a c tIn the present investigations, Laser Fluorimetry technique has been used for the microanalysis of uranium content in drinking water samples collected from different sources like the hand pumps, tube wells of various depths from wide range of locations in the four districts of SW-Punjab, India. The purpose of this study was to investigate the uranium concentration levels of ground water being used for drinking purposes and to determine its health effects, if any, to the local population of this region. Corresponding radiological and chemical risks have also been calculated for the uranium concentrations in ground water samples. Some other heavy elements have also been analysed using the Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. In this region, uranium concentration in 498 drinking water samples has been found to vary between 0.5e579 mgl À1 with an average of 73.5 mgl À1 . Data analysis revealed that 338 of 498 samples had uranium concentration higher than recommended safe limit of 30 mgl À1 (WHO, 2011) while 216 samples exceeded the threshold of 60 mgl À1 recommended by AERB, DAE, India, 2004.

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30 -34°N, 74 -78°E). The influence of meteorological parameters viz. temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and wind velocity on radon concentration was qualitatively evaluated. The radon exhalation showed positive correlation with temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and negative correlation with wind velocity. Both positive and negative radon anomalies were recorded. The study reveals the precursory nature of radon anomalies and their correlation with microseismic events in 62% of the cases but prediction of earthquakes is yet a remote possibility. From the analysis it has been found that radon anomaly is not only influenced by seismic parameters but also by meteorological parameters and the nature of carrier gases/fluids. To learn more about the phenomenon, simultaneous recording of various gases (He, CO 2 , CH 4 ) and meteorologi- TAO, Vol. 16, No. 4, October 2005 776 cal parameters, together with multiple continuous measurements of radon have been suggested.

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