Abstract
Abstract Radon (222Rn), radium (226Ra) and uranium (238U) concentration in the samples of marshes' water have been measured. The samples were collected from various places at the marshes, in Dhi-Qar governorate. The method that used in the present study is the can technique by Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs) with CR-39 detectors. Also, it was determined the average internal effective dose risk (AED), with lifetime cancer risk due to ingestion of 222Rn and 226Ra in drinking water. The average values of 222Rn, 226Ra and uranium 238U concentration in water samples were found to be 288.02 ± 31.21 Bq/m3, 0.45 ± 0.04 Bq/L, and 0.60 ± 0.06 ppm, respectively. The average values of AED (in mSv/y unit) caused by ingestion of 222Rn and 226Ra in the samples of the study were found to be 0.019 ± 0.002 and, 0.093 ± 0.01, respectively. The average values of total AED and lifetime cancer risk values were calculated to be 0.11 ± 0.01 mSv/y and (4.34 ± 0.47) × 10−4, respectively. The average concentration values of 222Rn and 226Ra were found to be within the global average limitations (0.4 Bq/L), and (1 Bq/L) that are recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) in 1993 and 2011, while the average of 238U concentrations were higher than that of the global average limitation (0.566 ppm) that was recommended by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). When some results of AED due to 222Rn and 226Ra concentrations, in the samples under study, were compared with the worldwide median value it was found that the lifetime cancer risk in all samples of the present study were higher than the safety limit for the healthy drinking water. Therefore, consuming the water of marshes in the Dhi-Qar Governorate, Iraq, for cooking and drinking (which is contaminated with alpha emitters like 222Rn, 226Ra, and 238U) may lead to a considerable variation in the internal effective dose.
Highlights
It has been reported that naturally originated radiation is among the biggest contributors to the accumulative radiation dose that the world population receives
The results of 222Rn concentration in water samples were turn out to be lower than the maximum acceptable limit reported by World Health Organization (WHO) in 1993 (WHO 1993; Pfister 2000): 0.4 Bq/L (400 Bq/m3), except samples M6, M9, M10 and M11
Variations in concentration values of radon in the water samples, in the present study, were given. These variations were resulted from several factors such as the geological nature of the area where the samples were collected, their geochemistry and their components
Summary
It has been reported that naturally originated radiation is among the biggest contributors to the accumulative radiation dose that the world population receives. The most common forms of ionization radiation are alpha particles such as 222Rn, 226Ra, and 238U. These three elements occur naturally in the environment and are found in very trace amounts in rocks, soil, water and plants (L’annunzia 2012). The water has two important closely related measures, they are: quantity and quality. The water is known to have certain impurities: water quality is a matter of the utmost priority when the environment is considered. The water people drink can contain amount radionuclides: the common radionuclides are 40 K, 226Ra and 238U and their
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