Abstract
222Rn concentrations in drinking water samples from Beijing City, China, were determined based on a simple method for the continuous monitoring of radon using a radon-in-air monitor coupled to an air-water exchanger. A total of 89 water samples were sampled and analyzed for their 222Rn content. The observed radon levels ranged from detection limit up to 49 Bq/L. The calculated arithmetic and geometric means of radon concentrations in all measured samples were equal to 5.87 and 4.63 Bq/L, respectively. The average annual effective dose from ingestion of radon in drinking water was 2.78 μSv, and that of inhalation of water-borne radon was 28.5 μSv. It is concluded that it is not the ingestion of waterborne radon, but inhalation of the radon escaping from water that is a substantial part of the radiological hazard. Radon in water is a big concern for public health, especially for consumers who directly use well water with very high radon concentration.
Highlights
Radon (222Rn) is a naturally occurring, short-lived radioactive decay product of uranium, and is found in various concentrations in soil, air and in different types of water as a result of migration from rocks and soil in contact with the water [1]
Twelve out of all sampled sites gave radon values of more than 11.11 Bq/L recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [3]
Radon concentrations have been determined from 89 drinking water samples collected from domestic water taps from public water and wells around Beijing City
Summary
Radon (222Rn) is a naturally occurring, short-lived (half-life of 3.825 days) radioactive decay product of uranium, and is found in various concentrations in soil, air and in different types of water as a result of migration from rocks and soil in contact with the water [1]. The primary health effect of radon is lung cancer, resulting from inhalation of radon in indoor air. There is evidence from epidemiology and modeling studies that ingestion of radon can cause stomach cancer [2]. Estimated population risks from radon in drinking water via the inhalation and ingestion routes, separately and combined, were determined by the National Research Council (NRC) [2]. It has estimated that 89% of the estimated cancer risk resulted from inhalation of the radon emitted from water, and 11% caused by ingestion pathway. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed in 1991 a maximum contamination level (MCL) for radon of 11 Bq/L in drinking water [3]. From practical reasons in 1999 EPA recommends another alternative maximum contamination level (AMCL) of
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