Radioecological Survey and Background Radiation Assessment of Open Areas in Tskaltubo, Georgia

Ketevan Murjikneli, Lali Bakradze, Salome Bezarashvili*, Nato Khunashvili and Genadi Kverenchkhiladze

Department of Nutrition, Aging Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health, Tbilisi State Medical University, Georgia

*Corresponding Author: Salome Bezarashvili, Department of Nutrition, Aging Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health, Tbilisi State Medical University, Georgia.

Received: November 11, 2025; Published: November 20, 2025

Abstract

Background: Natural background radiation is the principal source of ionizing radiation exposure to the global population, with radon and its decay products contributing the largest share. In Georgia, elevated natural radiation levels are expected due to uranium-bearing geological formations. The Tskaltubo resort zone is renowned for its radon-rich mineral waters, making it an important site for radioecological monitoring.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically measure and assess outdoor radiation background levels across the Tskaltubo resort zone to evaluate potential health implications for residents and visitors.

Methods: A total of 460 radiation background measurements were conducted in accordance with standardized protocols using the CPi-68-01 device. Measurements were taken at three active radon sources (№1, №2, №6) and surrounding open areas. Data were analyzed with independent-samples t-tests to determine significant differences between sites.

Results: Measured radiation background levels ranged from 60.5 to 85.2 nGy/h. The highest mean value was observed near radon source №1 (85.2 ± 3.11 nGy/h), corresponding to an annual effective dose of 0.75 mSv. Radiation levels near source №1 were significantly higher than those near source №6 (p = 0.003), source №2 (p = 0.015), and open resort areas (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Outdoor radiation levels in the Tskaltubo resort zone remain below the 1.0 mSv/year public exposure limit, suggesting no immediate health risk from external exposure in open spaces.

However, as indoor environments typically contribute more to total population dose, further studies on indoor radon and γ-radiation levels are warranted

Keywords: Background Radiation; Radon; Radioecology; Tskaltubo; Environmental Health; Georgia; Radiation Safety

References

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Citation

Citation: Salome Bezarashvili., et al. “Radioecological Survey and Background Radiation Assessment of Open Areas in Tskaltubo, Georgia". Acta Scientific Agriculture 9.11 (2025): 18-21.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Salome Bezarashvili., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.