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Radioactivity in drinking water supplies in the Vojvodina region, Serbia, and health implication

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Drinking water may contain radioactive substances that could present a risk to human health (WHO, Guidelines for drinking-water quality: fourth edition incorporating the first addendum. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2017). Of particular significance for human radiation exposure from drinking water are the naturally occurring radionuclides that originate from the elements of the thorium and uranium decay series, such as 226Ra and 228Ra. These radionuclides can arise in water from natural processes in the ground or human activities involving naturally occurring radioactive materials (WHO, Management of radioactivity in drinking water. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2018). The measurement of radioactivity in drinking water allows the determination of population exposure to radiation by the habitual consumption of water. The aim of this study was to determine gross alpha and gross beta activities, and 226Ra and 228Ra activity concentrations in 28 drinking water samples from the Vojvodina region, in order to check compliance with recent Serbian and European regulations. Gross alpha and beta activity in drinking water samples were determined according to ASTM D7283-06 Standard test method for alpha- and beta-activity in water by liquid scintillation counting (ASTM D7283-06, Standard test method for alpha- and beta- activity in water by liquid scintillation counting. ASTM International West Conshohocken PA, https://www.astm.org, 2006), and measured by PerkinElmer liquid scintillation counter Quantulus 1220. The activity of 226Ra and 228Ra was determined by low-level gamma-spectrometry, and assuming the radioactive equilibrium between 226 and 228Ra and their progenies. For the analyzed radionuclides activity concentration in the water samples dose calculations were carried out. Gross alpha activity for all presented water samples exceeded the recommended guideline activity concentrations of 0.1 Bq L−1 (WHO, Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 2nd edn. World Health Organization, Geneva, 1993). The activity concentrations for 226Ra in 13 of investigated samples are higher than the legally established levels for radionuclide content in drinking water in Serbia and EU (Official Gazette, Rulebook on limits of radionuclides content in drinking water, foodstuffs, feeding stuffs, medicines, general use products, construction materials and other goods that are put on market, 2013; EC, Council Directive 2013/51/EURATOM, 2013). In 16 water samples concentration of 228Ra is higher than recommended. In 20 investigated samples, total dose GD from radionuclides in drinking water is higher than 0.1 mSv year−1 (EC, European Drinking Water Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 European Commission on the quality of water intended for human consumption. Off J L, 1998). The cancer risk caused by the intake of radium isotopes in drinking water during the lifetime was estimated, and the obtaining results are ranged in the acceptable cancer incidence (WHO, Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 4th edn. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2011; EPA, Cancer risk coefficients for environmental exposures to radionuclides. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 1999). The presence of 226Ra and 228Ra are explained on the basis of geological and hydrogeological characteristics of the Vojvodina region.

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Funding

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Serbia, within the projects Nuclear Methods Investigations of Rare Processes and Cosmic No. 171002, Biosensing Technologies and Global System for Continues Research and Integrated Management No. 43002, and the Provincial Secretariat for higher education and scientific research within the project Radionuclides in drinking water and cancer indices in Vojvodina No. 142-451-2505.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 4, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Nataša Todorović, Jovana Nikolov, Jan Hansman, Andrej Vraničar & Predrag Kuzmanović

  2. University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Ivana Stojković

  3. Laboratory for Physics, Department of Medical and Business-Technology Studies, Academy of Professional Studies Šabac, Hajduk Veljkova 10, 15000, Sabac, Serbia

    Predrag Kuzmanović

  4. Geological Survey of Serbia, Rovinjska 12, 11050, Belgrade, Serbia

    Tanja Petrović Pantić & Katarina Atanasković Samolov

  5. Vojvodina Institute of Oncology, Put doktora Goldmana 4, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia

    Silvija Lučić

  6. Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Futoška 12, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Sanja Bjelović

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  1. Nataša Todorović
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  2. Jovana Nikolov
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  3. Ivana Stojković
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  4. Jan Hansman
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  7. Tanja Petrović Pantić
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Correspondence to Nataša Todorović.

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Todorović, N., Nikolov, J., Stojković, I. et al. Radioactivity in drinking water supplies in the Vojvodina region, Serbia, and health implication. Environ Earth Sci 79, 162 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-08904-9

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