Radiation risk assessment in water samples collected from homes in Al-Qasim and Al-Talee'a, Babylon Governorate

Department of Physics, College of Education for Pure Sciences, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq

^* Corresponding author: ali.alhameedawi@uokufa.edu.iq

Abstract

Inflammable noble gas radon is colorless and odorless. Its formation is a result of uranium’s breakdown processes. Radon gas quantities were measured in the drinking water of several homes in the Al-Tali’ah and Al-Qasim districts of Babylon Governorate. Our American-made alpha particle detector (RAD-7 H2O) was used for this. 20 water samples were taken; 10 came from Al-Tali’ah, and 10 from Al-Qasim. From 0.158 Bq. L-1 to 0.319 Bq. L-1, with a rate of 0.179 Bq. L-1, we measured radon concentrations; the effective annual dose ranged from 0.406 μS/y to 0.815 μSv/y, with a rate of 0.459 μSv/y. The lifetime cancer risk varied between 0.0156*10^-4 and 0.0313*10^-4, with a rate of 0.0175*10^-4. The water samples from the locations above did not contain enough radon gas to meet the standards set by the World Health Organization in 2011 for radon concentrations and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) for the effective annual dose. Consequently, the water supply is safe to drink, and there are no dangers to the public’s health.