SEASONAL MONITORING OF RADON AND RADIUM IN “HEALING WATER” FROM THE SMRDLIVA VODA LOCALITY, REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Goran  Tasev; Lazar  Gjorgiev; Blažo  Boev

Goran Tasev Faculty of Natural and Technical Sciences, “Goce Delčev” University in Štip, Blvd. “Goce Delčev” 89, P. O. Box 201, 2000 Štip, North Macedonia
Lazar Gjorgiev Faculty of Natural and Technical Sciences, “Goce Delčev” University in Štip, Blvd. “Goce Delčev” 89, P. O. Box 201, 2000 Štip, North Macedonia
Blažo Boev Faculty of Natural and Technical Sciences, “Goce Delčev” University in Štip, Blvd. “Goce Delčev” 89, P. O. Box 201, 2000 Štip, North Macedonia

Keywords: radon; radium; water; public fountain; effective dose; Smrdliva Voda

Abstract

Our current study focused on seasonal measurements of radon and radium in drinking water from the public water fountain known as Smrdliva Voda, which is believed to help with certain health problems in humans. Results of the radon in water measurements, for all 4 seasons, ranged from 3.94 up to 7.15 Bq l^–1. Obtained results for the radium in water, for all 4 seasons as well, ranged from 0.25 up to 0.53 Bq l^–1. Both, radon and radium measurements, in water samples from this certain fountain have shown values below the strictest standards given by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and World Health Organization (WHO), respectively. The committed effective dose for the population consuming the water directly from the fountain or as self-bottled waters from the Smrdliva Voda area was estimated using the concentration of ²²²Rn and ²²⁶Ra in water samples, ranges from 40.51 μSv y–1 to 75.81 μSv y–1, which once again for all 4 seasons is below than the WHO recommended values of maximum 100 μSv y–1.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.