Biomaterial Database

Public exposure to 226Ra in drinking water. 2006

Maja Bronzović, and Gordana Marović, and Mladen Vrtar

Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia. murtar@imi.hr

This paper presents a new method for calculating the effective dose of 226Ra regularly ingested with drinking water over a long period of time. The method is based on the assessment of cumulated 226Ra activity in the fraction retained in the whole body at time t (in days) after intake [so called m(t) value]. For modelling, simulation, and visualisation of the continuous intake of 226Ra by drinking water, we used the Simulink program package integrated with the Matlab. The dose assessment was performed for 226Ra activities of 5 mBq L(-1), 50 mBq L(-1), 1000 mBq L(-1) and 5000 mBq L(-1). The results suggest that 226Ra activities above 1000 mBq L(-1) produce effective doses which are below the recommended maximum. However, the potential effect of 226Ra activities of this extent is still unknown in children.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011829	Radiation Dosage	The amount of radiation energy that is deposited in a unit mass of material, such as tissues of plants or animal. In RADIOTHERAPY, radiation dosage is expressed in gray units (Gy). In RADIOLOGIC HEALTH, the dosage is expressed by the product of absorbed dose (Gy) and quality factor (a function of linear energy transfer), and is called radiation dose equivalent in sievert units (Sv).	Sievert Units,Dosage, Radiation,Gray Units,Gy Radiation,Sv Radiation Dose Equivalent,Dosages, Radiation,Radiation Dosages,Units, Gray,Units, Sievert
D011883	Radium	A radioactive element of the alkaline earth series of metals. It has the atomic symbol Ra and atomic number 88. Radium is the product of the disintegration of URANIUM and is present in pitchblende and all ores containing uranium. It is used clinically as a source of beta and gamma-rays in radiotherapy, particularly BRACHYTHERAPY.
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014875	Water Pollutants, Radioactive	Pollutants, present in water or bodies of water, which exhibit radioactivity.	Pollutants, Radioactive Water,Radioactive Water Pollutants
D014881	Water Supply	Means or process of supplying water (as for a community) usually including reservoirs, tunnels, and pipelines and often the watershed from which the water is ultimately drawn. (Webster, 3d ed)	Supplies, Water,Supply, Water,Water Supplies