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Drinking-water contribution to natural background radiation.

C R Cothern, W L Lappenbusch, J Michel

    Health Physics
    |January 1, 1986
    PubMed
    Summary

    Drinking water contains naturally occurring radionuclides, contributing minimally to annual effective dose equivalent (0.002-0.05 mSv/y). Radon-222 (222Rn) from water poses a slightly higher inhalation risk.

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    Area of Science:

    • Environmental Science
    • Radiological Health
    • Public Health

    Background:

    • Naturally occurring radionuclides are present in drinking water sources.
    • Estimating radiation dose from ingested radionuclides is crucial for public health risk assessment.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To estimate the annual effective dose equivalent from radionuclides in U.S. drinking water.
    • To assess the contribution of drinking water to overall radiation exposure.

    Main Methods:

    • Utilized recent measurements of radionuclide concentrations in drinking water.
    • Applied dosimetric models from ICRP Publication 30 and BEIR III risk coefficients.
    • Analyzed cohort data and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency risk factors.

    Main Results:

    • Community water supplies contribute 0.002-0.05 mSv/y to annual effective dose equivalent.
    • Radon-222 (222Rn) dissolved in water contributes 0.8-30 μSv/y via inhalation after release.

    Conclusions:

    • Drinking water contributes a small but quantifiable dose of radiation.
    • Radon-222 represents a notable exposure pathway from drinking water, primarily through inhalation.

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