Study on the activity concentration of total α and natural radionuclides in drinking water in Inner Mongolia region / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To ascertain the level of radioactivity in drinking water in Inner Mongolia region, and analyze the reasons why the total alpha radioactivity index is high in drinking water in some areas thereof.Methods:Water samples with high total alpha radioactivity index were collected in some towns in the region on the basis of surveyed result , with the causes of abnormal radioactivity index being analyzed, using low background α radioactivity measuring instrument, microuranium analyzer, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, to estimate the accumulative effective dose caused by ingestion of radioactivity in drinking water.Results:The total alpha activity was 0.508-1.008 Bq/L in tap water samples and 0.507-1.965 Bq/L in finished water samples. Uranium concentration was 3.41-35.71 μg/L in tap water measured using laser fluorescence method and 3.62-32.61 μg/L in finished water measured using laser fluorescence method, respectively. The concentration of 238U and 232Th in tap water measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was 5.83-34.36 μg/L, 0.002-0.359 μg/L, respectively, while that in finished water was 5.62-29.41 μg/L, 0.003-0.327 μg/L, respectively. Conclusions:Based on the repeated measurement analysis of drinking water samples from some areas in Inner Mongolia, the high level of total α radioactivity in water samples is caused by uranium, and the high content of uranium leads to a high total alpha value.