Water Supply (Jan 2022)
222Rn,226Ra and 238U concentration in water samples for some marshes in Dhi-Qar governorate, Iraq
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. HIGHLIGHT In this manuscript, I have been affording in a truly innovative way the issue to put the basis towards the realization for the first time of a baseline for assessment of the exposure of Iraq's people to lifetime cancer risk and annual effective dose assessment due to alpha emitters concentrations in water of marshes in Dhi-Qar Governorate, Iraq. The results show that the cancer risk in samples is higher than the world.;
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