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26 29 Radioactivity in drinking water / U and Ra radioisotopes / 30 Radioactive disequilibria in water / Hot mineral waters / 31 Tap water / Wells / Environment 32 Summary. Radiochemical results ( 234 U, 238 U, 226 Ra and 228 Ra 33 activities; 234 U/ 238 U, 228 Ra/ 226 Ra and 226 Ra/ 238 U activity ratios)34 are reported for 31 drinking water samples collected from 8 35 wells, 12 hot mineral springs, 5 cold springs, and 6 tap water 36 samples. Activities of the Ra isotopes were measured by 37 gamma spectrometry using a low background and high ef-38 ficiency well type germanium detector. The U isotopes were 39 counted in an alpha spectrometer. The results show that 238 U 40 activity varies between 4.46 and about 308 mBq l Ϫ1 in wells, 41 0.59 and 17.88 mBq l Ϫ1 in hot springs, 2.19 and 3.21 mBq l Ϫ1 42 in cold springs, and between 2.5 and 15.70 mBq l Ϫ1 in tap 43 water samples. 234 U/ 238 U activity ratio is generally higher than 44 1 which is the equilibrium activity ratio value in closed sys-45 tems. It varies in the ranges 0.79Ϫ2.11 in wells, 0.97Ϫ7.39 in 46 hot springs, 2.53Ϫ8.30 in cold springs, and 1.14Ϫ3.35 in tap 47 water. Unlike well waters, spring waters show low 238 U activi-48 ties and high 234 U/ 238 U activity ratios. The highest activity of 49 Ra measured in hot mineral water samples is about 150 and 50 352 times higher than the highest activity of Ra found in well 51 waters and in cold springs, respectively. 226 Ra/ 238 U activity 52 ratios are in the ranges : 0.07Ϫ1.14 in wells, 1.79Ϫ2115 in hot 53 springs, 0.86Ϫ4.79 in cold springs, and 0.18Ϫ5.61 in tap water 54 samples. The data are similar to those published for other 55 regions of the world.56

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