Assessment of 222Rn Distribution in Water and Soil Gas in the Shida Kartli Region, Georgia

Abstract

Within the framework of the SRNSFG FN-19-22022 project “222Rn Mapping and Radon Risk Assessment in Georgia,” fieldwork was carried out to quantify 222Rn distribution in water and soil gas and to identify geological factors influencing 222Rn concentrations in selected areas of Georgia. In Shida Kartli region, on-site 222Rn measurements were performed at 78 soil gas sampling points and 90 water sources (63 springs, 27 boreholes) using the AlphaGUARD PQ2000 PRO (Saphymo GmbH) radon monitor. Measured 222Rn concentrations ranged from 0.08 to 51.76 Bq/L in water and up to 46.6 kBq•m⁻³ in soil gas. Basic statistical analysis and visualization revealed that most water and soil gas values fall in the low to moderate range, with occasional localized high values. All observation sites were georeferenced using GPS. The data were digitized and integrated into a GIS to illustrate 222Rn distribution in water and soil gas across Shida Kartli. The works [8-11] present the results of our early studies of 222Rn content in soil gas and water in various regions of the country.