Radon Concentrations in Drinking Water in Beijing City, China and Contribution to Radiation Dose

Yun-Yun Wu, Yong-Zhong Ma, Hong-Xing Cui, Jian-Xiang Liu, Ya-Ru Sun, Bing Shang and Xu Su
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Yun-Yun Wu: Key Laboratory of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Emergency, National Institute for Radiological Protection, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100088, China
Yong-Zhong Ma: Institute for Radiological Protection, Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100013, China
Hong-Xing Cui: Key Laboratory of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Emergency, National Institute for Radiological Protection, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100088, China
Jian-Xiang Liu: Key Laboratory of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Emergency, National Institute for Radiological Protection, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100088, China
Ya-Ru Sun: Institute for Radiological Protection, Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100013, China
Bing Shang: Key Laboratory of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Emergency, National Institute for Radiological Protection, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100088, China
Xu Su: Key Laboratory of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Emergency, National Institute for Radiological Protection, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100088, China

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: 222 Rn 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 222 Rn 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 ?Sv, and that of inhalation of water-borne radon was 28.5 ?Sv. 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.

Keywords: radon; drinking water; well water; public water; radiation dose (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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