ABSTRACT
Background: radium-226 [[226]Ra] is a product of the [238]U radionuclide decay series that significantly incorporated into the human body through water intake. It can also potentially cause a series of health problems including cancers of the digestive system. Radium-226 [[226]Ra] is a product of the [238]U radionuclide decay series that significantly incorporated into the human body through water intake. It can also potentially cause a series of health problems including cancers of the digestive system
Materials and Methods: [226]Ra has been determined in drinking water samples collected from various locations of Guilan province of Iran. The water samples are taken from public water and urban tap water sources. For evolution of gross a and b exposure precipitation method and proportional scintillator system was used. The radon emanation method was used to measure the radium concentration in drinking water
Results: the measurements showed the gross alpha and beta concentration ranges were between <38 mBql[-1] to 92 mBql[-1] and <41 mBql[-1] to 328 mBql[-1], respectively. The radium concentration range was between 2 mBq l[-1] to 38.2 mBq l[-1]. The resulting contribution to the annual effective dose due to the digestion of [226]R in water was calculated to be between <0.4 microSv y[-1] to 7.8 microSv y[-1], respectively
Conclusion: the average concentration of [226]Ra was found [7.6 mBq l[-1]] in drinking water samples and the average annual effective dose, from the digestion of [226]Ra in water samples was calculated to be 1.5 microSv y[-1]. According to UNSCEAR, the annual effective dose value by ingestion is report to be 0.12 mSv y[-1]