Radon and radium concentrations in drinkable water supplies of the Thu Duc region in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Cong Hao Le; Nguyen Phong Thu Huynh; Van Thang Nguyen; Quoc Bao Le

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2015.08.033

Radon and radium concentrations in drinkable water supplies of the Thu Duc region in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Appl Radiat Isot. 2015 Nov:105:219-224. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2015.08.033. Epub 2015 Aug 25.

Authors

Cong Hao Le¹, Nguyen Phong Thu Huynh², Van Thang Nguyen², Quoc Bao Le²

Affiliations

¹ Nuclear Technique Laboratory, VNU-HCM, University of Science, Vietnam. Electronic address: lchao@hcmus.edu.vn.
² Nuclear Technique Laboratory, VNU-HCM, University of Science, Vietnam.

PMID: 26334782
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2015.08.033

Abstract

The results of (222)Rn and (226)Ra activity measurements in drinkable water supplies of the Thu Duc region in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, are presented in this paper. The measurements were performed using a RAD 7 radon detector manufactured by Durridge Company, Inc. Mean concentrations of (222)Rn and (226)Ra were found to be 0.11±0.01Bql(-1) and 0.11±0.02Bql(-1) in 14 drinking water samples. They are 0.12±0.01Bql(-1) and 0.10±0.02Bql(-1) in 15 tap water samples, respectively. The mean (222)Rn concentration of 1.40±0.03Bql(-1) in the 20 groundwater samples of this study is also lower than the WHO advised level of 100Bql(-1). Fifty percent of groundwater samples analysed have (226)Ra levels in excess of the USEPA recommended maximum contaminant level of 0.185Bql(-1). The occurrence of elevated concentrations of (226)Ra in groundwater samples was explained by pH and alkaline conditions.

Keywords: (222)Rn; (226)Ra; Drinkable water; RAD 7; The Thu Duc region; Vietnam.