Direct measurement of the radioactive radon gas activity in water in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The radon level were measured for 120 drinking and ground water samples which collected from different location in Saudi Arabia. Solid State nuclear track detectors SSNTD were used to determine the radiation dose value in water samples collected. The results show that the mean value of radon concentration was 25.77±2.30 for drinking water, while 47.08±4.08 for ground water. The all measurements for radon concentrations in all samples are less than the World Health Organization [1] recommended safe limit and accepted for drinking purposes as proposed by European Commission [2] (100 Bq /L). The total annual effective dose has a mean value 268.00±23.98 µSv/y in drinking water, and 486.62 ±42.40 µSv/y for ground water, all values of annual effective dose were lower than limits recommendation from agency ICRP. Ra activity values have range from 11.31±1.39 to 27.50±2.02 Bq/L in drinking water while in ground water the radium have range from 15.23±1.40 to 61.16±5.59 Bq/L, these values were lower than the allowable limit (370 Bq /L), which is acceptable as a safe limit [3]. The lung cancer cases per year per million person (CPPP) in samples water were lower than the allowable limited 230-170 per million person which recommended by ICRP [4].The radon level were measured for 120 drinking and ground water samples which collected from different location in Saudi Arabia. Solid State nuclear track detectors SSNTD were used to determine the radiation dose value in water samples collected. The results show that the mean value of radon concentration was 25.77±2.30 for drinking water, while 47.08±4.08 for ground water. The all measurements for radon concentrations in all samples are less than the World Health Organization [1] recommended safe limit and accepted for drinking purposes as proposed by European Commission [2] (100 Bq /L). The total annual effective dose has a mean value 268.00±23.98 µSv/y in drinking water, and 486.62 ±42.40 µSv/y for ground water, all values of annual effective dose were lower than limits recommendation from agency ICRP. Ra activity values have range from 11.31±1.39 to 27.50±2.02 Bq/L in drinking water while in ground water the radium have range from 15.23±1.40 to 61.16±5.59 Bq/L, these values were lower than the allowab...