Biomaterial Database

Activity concentrations of 226Ra and 228Ra in drilled well water in Finland. 2006

P Vesterbacka, and T Turtiainen, and S Heinävaara, and H Arvela

STUK-Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, PO Box 14, 00881 Helsinki, Finland. pia.vesterbacka@stuk.fi

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.

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
D011834	Radiation Monitoring	The observation, either continuously or at intervals, of the levels of radiation in a given area, generally for the purpose of assuring that they have not exceeded prescribed amounts or, in case of radiation already present in the area, assuring that the levels have returned to those meeting acceptable safety standards.	Monitoring, Radiation
D011835	Radiation Protection	Methods and practices adopted to protect against RADIATION.	Protection, Radiation
D011886	Radon	A naturally radioactive element with atomic symbol Rn, and atomic number 86. It is a member of the noble gas family found in soil, and is released during the decay of RADIUM.	Actinon,Thoron (Element)
D012062	Relative Biological Effectiveness	The ratio of radiation dosages required to produce identical change based on a formula comparing other types of radiation with that of gamma or roentgen rays.	Biological Effectiveness, Relative,Effectiveness, Biologic Relative,Effectiveness, Biological Relative,Relative Biologic Effectiveness,Biologic Effectiveness, Relative,Biologic Relative Effectiveness,Biological Relative Effectiveness,Effectiveness, Relative Biologic,Effectiveness, Relative Biological,Relative Effectiveness, Biologic
D001822	Body Burden	The total amount of a chemical, metal or radioactive substance present at any time after absorption in the body of man or animal.	Body Burdens,Burden, Body,Burdens, Body
D004781	Environmental Exposure	The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals.	Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D005387	Finland	A country in northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia. The capital is Helsinki.	Aland Islands,Åland Islands
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001417	Background Radiation	Radiation from sources other than the source of interest. It is due to cosmic rays and natural radioactivity in the environment.	Natural Radiation,Radiation, Background,Radiation, Natural,Background Radiations,Natural Radiations,Radiations, Background,Radiations, Natural