[Radon 222 in drinking water from Jelenia Gora area]. / Radon 222Rn w wodzie do picia z obszaru Jeleniej Góry.

In the last decade one can observe an increasing interest in the study of 222Rn levels in water samples. In Poland, radon concentration is measured continuously and routinely only in mineral and medical waters from springs located in the area of health resorts in the Sudety Mountains. The reason for these studies is the fact that waters present in this area have a high radon concentration. Radon--222 concentration in surface water, wells water and tap water in Jelenia Góra has been quantitative determined. The measurements were performed using the alpha liquid scintillation counting method. "Grabarów", the main waterworks in Jelenia Góra is supplied with the mixed water consisting from the surface water (river Bóbr), which main characteristic is low radon concentration (below 11 Bq/l), and from ground water with the radon concentration from 179.6 Bq/l to 289.0 Bq/l in it. Also, waterworks "Ceglana", "Pod Karpaczem", "Sniezne Kotly" is supplied with the ground water have a high radon concentration: from 93.2 Bq/l to 216.4 Bq/l. The next waterworks: "Podgórzyn", "Lesniczówka", "Kamienna Wieza", "Górzyniec" and "Centrum-Jelchem" is supplied with the surface water in which the radon concentration is low: from 1.1 Bq/l to 7.5 Bq/l. The annual effective dose to an individual from an intake of radon-222 via ingestion of drinking water is calculated by the Crawford-Brown's biokinetic model. In the present study it was found to be about 0.9 mSv/y (222Rn concentration level in drinking waters about 200 Bq/l).

[Contents of radon 222Rn in drinking water of Sweradów Zdrój and Czerniawa Zdrój]. / Zawartosc radonu 222Rn w wodzie do picia w Swieradowie Zdroju i Czerniawie Zdroju.

Radon-222 concentration in surface water, wells and tap water in Swieradów Zdrój and in Czerniawa Zdrój has been quantitative determined. The measurements were performed using the alpha liquid scintillation counting method. Radon arithmetic mean for water of individual wells in Swieradów Zdrój was found to be 438.5 Bq/l within the range between 42 Bq/ and 1095 Bq/l. The appropriate mean value for water of individual wells Czerniawa Zdrój was 165 Bq/l within the range from 25.8 Bq/l and 402.4 Bq/l. Waterworks in Czerniawa Zdrój is supplied with the surface water in which the radon concentration is low (about 2 Bq/l). Water works in Swieradów Zdrój is supplied with the mixed water consisting from the surface water, which main characteristic is low radon concentration (below 11 Bq/l), and from artesian well and mine gallery water with the radon concentration from 321 Bq/l to 464 Bq/l in it. This water is mixed in various ratios and therefore the radon concentration in it was within 4 Bq/l and 79 Bq/l.

[Radon 222Rn in residential buildings of Swieradów Zdrój and Czerniawa Zdrój]. / Radon 222Rn w budynkach mieszkalnych Swieradowa Zdroju i Czerniawy Zdroju.

Swieradrów Zdrój and Czerniawa Zdrój are located in Region Izera Block. A total of 789 radon passive dosimeters were distributed in 183 dwellings in these town Swieradów Zdrój and Czerniawa Zdrój to measure the indoor radon concentration in 1999. Three-five measurements were performed in each dwelling, one in the basement, and the others in the main bedroom, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, since these rooms are the most frequently occupied. In addition, the occupants of each dwelling were requested to answer a questionnaire in which a number of questions about the building, ventilation habits and other related aspects were formulated. A charcoal detectors (Pico-Rad system) were used in experiment. It is a passive short-term screening method of radon gas concentration measurements. The indoor radon level was found to range from 14.8 Bq/m3 to 5,723.9 Bq/m3. The arithmetic mean overall indoor concentration was 420.4 Bq/m3 and the geometric mean was 159.7 Bq/m3. The average concentration of indoor radon, which reflects the real risk for inhabitants, is 193.5 Bq/m3. The results hand a log-normal distribution. In Poland, an action level of 400 Bq/m3 was recommended for existing buildings and 200 Bq/m3 for newly built (after 1.01.1998) buildings. In about 23% rooms the level of Rn-222 were above the top limit of 400 Bq/m3. The highest average concentrations were present in a basement (mean 919.9 Bq/m3). A decrease of average activity were observed at the upper levels: at the ground floor (225.2 Bq/m3), at the first floor and at the higher floors (137.6 Bq/m3). The above results indicate that radon emission from the ground provides the main contribution to the radon concentration measured in dwellings indoors in Swieradów Zdrój and Czerniawa Zdrój. The effective dose to the population of the Swieradów Zdrój and Czerniawa Zdrój from indoor radon and its progeny can be derived from this data if we use an equilibrium factor of 0.4 between radon and its progeny and assuming an indoor occupation index of 0.8. Taking into account that a conversion coefficient of 1.1 mSv per mJ h m-3 is recommended in ICRP 65 for members of public, the measured average annual dose is then about 3.3 mSv per year.