| NUKLEONIKA 2010, 55(2):177-180
RADON IN DRINKING WATER IN THE BIAŁYSTOK REGION IN POLANDMaria Karpińska, Jacek Kapała, Zenon Mnich, Andrzej Szpak Medical University of Białystok, 2A A. Mickiewicza Str., 15-089 Białystok, Poland Water is one of the indoor sources of 222Rn. As radon is soluble in water, it is carried indoor by water supply and there it is released. The presence of radon in groundwaters is caused by direct migration of 222Rn from rocks and soil to waters as well as by radium content in water. Radon inflow indoor is possible in the areas where drinking water shows high radon concentration. Radon concentration changes significantly from low in natural surface water to relatively high from water in drilled wells. It is estimated that out of 10,000 Bq·m–3 of radon contained in water supply we can obtain radon concentration increase by 1 Bq·m–3 indoor. The aim of the study was to measure radon in water supply in the Białystok region and also estimation of doses and investigation how the treatment influenced radon concentration in water. Water was collected from rural and municipal waterworks as well as from home wells. Measurements of radon concentration in particular stages of drawing and treatment of water in Białystok waterworks were also conducted. A liquid scintillation method was used in the study. The arithmetic mean of radon concentrations in the samples was equal to 5800 Bq·m–3, median – 4800 Bq·m–3, and geometric mean – 4600 Bq·m–3. The lowest values of radon concentration were observed in surface waters (from surface intake). Radon concentrations in waters from drilled wells, shallow home wells and surface intake were compared and statistically significant differences were obtained at p < 0.05. The results of radon concentrations in drinking water in the Białystok area revealed radon-poor waters (88%) and low-radon waters (12%). Close X |