Study of Well Waters from High-Level Natural Radiation Areas in Northern Vietnam

Van-Hao Duong; Thanh-Duong Nguyen; Miklos Hegedus; Erika Kocsis; Tibor Kovacs

doi:10.3390/ijerph18020469

Study of Well Waters from High-Level Natural Radiation Areas in Northern Vietnam

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 8;18(2):469. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18020469.

Authors

Van-Hao Duong¹, Thanh-Duong Nguyen¹, Miklos Hegedus², Erika Kocsis², Tibor Kovacs²

Affiliations

¹ Geophysics Department, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, No 18, Vien Street, Bac Tu Liem District, Hanoi 100 000, Vietnam.
² Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, University of Pannonia, H-8200 Veszprem, Hungary.

Abstract

The determination of natural radionuclide concentrations plays an important role for assuring public health and in the estimation of the radiological hazards. This is especially true for high level radiation areas. In this study, ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²³⁸U concentrations were measured in well waters surrounding eight of the high-level natural radiation areas in northern Vietnam. The ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²³⁸U activity concentrations vary from <1.2 × 10^-3-2.7 (0.46), <2.6 × 10^-3-0.43 (0.07) and <38 × 10^-3-5.32 Bq/L (0.50 of median), respectively. ²²⁶Ra and ²³⁸U isotopes in most areas are in equilibrium, except for the DT-Thai Nguyen area. The calculated radiological hazard indices are generally higher than WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations. Average annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk values due to drinking well water range from to 130 to 540 μSv/year and 7.4 × 10^-6 to 3.1 × 10^-5, respectively.

Keywords: 226Ra; 228Ra; 238U; REE and uranium mines; northern Vietnam; radiological hazards; well water.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Background Radiation
Radiation Dosage
Radiation Monitoring*
Radium* / analysis
Uranium* / analysis
Vietnam
Water Pollutants, Radioactive* / analysis

Substances

Water Pollutants, Radioactive
Uranium
Radium