Natural radioactivity in drinking water was determined in population-based random study of 472 private wells. The mean concentrations of (222)Rn, (226)Ra, (234)U, (238)U, (210)Pb and (210)Po in drilled wells were 460, 0.05, 0.35, 0.26, 0.04 and 0.05 Bq l(-1), and in wells dug in the soil were 50, 0.016, 0.02, 0.015, 0.013 and 0.007 Bq l(-1), respectively. Approximately 10% of the drilled wells exceeded a radon concentration of 1000 Bq l(-1) and 18% a uranium concentration of 15 microg l(-1). The mean annual effective dose from natural radionuclides for a drilled well user was 0.4 mSv and 0.05 mSv for a user of a well dug in the soil. The effective dose arising from (222)Rn was 75% of the total of all natural radionuclides for drilled well users. As regards long-lived radionuclides, (210)Po and (210)Pb caused the largest portion of the effective dose. The dose arising from (238)U, (234)U and (226)Ra was only 8% of the total of all natural radionuclides.
The activity concentrations of (226)Ra and (228)Ra in drinking water were determined in water samples from 176 drilled wells. (226)Ra activity concentrations were in the range of <0.01-1.0 Bq l(-1) and (228)Ra activity concentrations in the range of <0.03-0.3 Bq l(-1). The mean activity concentration of (226)Ra and (228)Ra were 0.041 and 0.034 Bq l(-1), respectively. High radium activity concentrations in drinking water were rare. Only 2-4% of the drilled wells exceeded a (226)Ra concentration of 0.5 Bq l(-1) and 1-2% of the wells exceeded a (228)Ra concentration of 0.2 Bq l(-1). These are the activity concentrations that cause a 0.1 mSv annual effective dose for users of drinking water. The maximum annual effective doses from (226)Ra and (228)Ra for users of drilled wells were 0.21 mSv, and 0.16 mSv respectively. The elevated activity concentrations of (226)Ra and (228)Ra did not occur simultaneously in the same groundwaters and the correlation between (226)Ra and (228)Ra was small.
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