Evaluation of the health risks associated with radon levels for water samples in Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq

Abstract

Water is essential to life, making its preservation from environmental radioactive pollutants, particularly radon gas, critically important. To address this, regular water testing and contaminant health assessments are needed to address this. periodic water testing and assessment of pollutant impacts on human health are necessary. This study investigates how radon exposure affects the lungs and stomach, the most radiation-sensitive organs. Additionally, the lungs and stomach are good for accumulating radionuclides that enter the body by inhalation and ingestion, then disseminated through the bloodstream. To compute radon levels in water, an advanced electronic maneuver called the RAD7 detector was used in eight stations for drinking water that were located in Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq. The study found that radon levels ranged from 0.133 to 0.466 (Bq/L), with an average of 0.278. All values were less than the permissible limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency of 11 Bq/L. The doses due to the radon via inhalation and ingestion averaged 0.699 and 0.709, respectively, that measured in μSv/y, which is less than the recommended limit by the World Health Organization of 100 μSv/y. Moreover, the study evaluated the dose contribution for the stomach and lungs due to radon exposure over inhalation and ingestion pathways, confirming that these organs are indeed affected by radon. From the results, it can be concluded that the studied locations are radioactively safe and pose no risk to public health, making their water suitable for drinking and bathing.