Health effects from radon-222 in drinking water in Algiers

As part of a national programme, 222Rn in public water supply systems, private wells and in natural mineral waters has been measured in some locations of Algiers City. Radon concentration was determined by means of a passive method based on the use of electret ion chambers (EIC). The determination of radon concentration in the water samples consisted of sealing a known volume of water in a jar and measuring the airborne radon using an E-PERM (electret-passive environmental radon monitor) device. The radon concentrations in natural mineral waters were found to be the highest of all other water samples. It is found that the mean radon concentration of water samples was lower than the value of 11000 Bq m(-3) (11 Bq l(-1)) reported by the US Environmental Protection Agency. These investigations enabled a first estimate of the corresponding annual effective dose to the stomach and the lungs. It was observed that the annual effective dose resulting from direct consumption of water is far greater than that due to inhalation of radon emanating from tap water. Moreover, it is also shown that the annual effective dose due to inhalation of radon emanating from tap water and flushing water is negligible compared to the total annual dose for indoor radon in Algiers.