No abstract

Radon monitoring has been increasingly conducted worldwide because it is considered as the hazardous effects on the human healthy, probably making an increased cancer risk when people received radon by inhalation of air and ingestion of water containing high concentrations over extended periods of time. Radon is natural occurring radionuclides found in the rock, soil and water, and can therefore enter in the water supplies used for drinking water. The objective in this study was to determine the radon level in groundwater in order to set up a policy on water management. The groundwater radon concentrations were measured by RAD7 device with RAD H2O technique following a protocol proposed by the manufacturer from 26 groundwater samples randomized in Kamphaeng-Saen District, Nakhon Pathom Province and Ban-Pong District, Ratchaburi Province where the groundwater has been frequently used for public tap water. The results show that the radon concentrations range between 0.05 and 2.51 BqL–1 with an average value of 0.95 BqL–1. All measured radon concentrations are well below the allowed maximum contamination level (MCL) of radon concentration in water of 11 BqL-1, proposed by US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The annual effective doses of adults calculated for inhalation and ingestion are below 12.74 µSvy–1, and also well lower than the safe limit (100 µSvy–1) recommended by World Health Organization and EU Council. Thus radon in groundwater of this study do not pose any significant health risk to the public.

No abstract

Radon is a natural radioactive gas, and it is increasingly interesting worldwide because it affects the human healthy and increases lung cancer risk when people receive high concentrations over extended periods of time by inhalation. The study was to measure the radon concentration, determine the radon exhalation rate, and estimate annual effective dose level in order to set up a policy on controlling the contamination of radon in the natural rubber latex products in Thailand, and the radon concentrations were measured from natural rubber latex pillows randomized from online market in Thailand by closed chamber system technique with ATMOS 12 DPX. The results showed that the equilibrium radon concentrations were ranged between 11 ± 2 and 43 ± 5 Bqm–3 with an average value of 17 ± 9 Bqm–3. All measured radon concentrations were well below the allowed maximum contamination level of radon concentration in collected samples of 148 and 300 Bqm–3, recommended by the USEPA and the ICRP, respectively. The exhalation rates from natural rubber latex pillows were ranged 12 ± 3 and 60 ± 7 mBq m–2 h–1 with an average value of 25.7 ± 14.4 mBq m–2 h–1. The annual effective doses calculated for inhalation were between 0.12 ± 0.03 and 0.43 ± 0.05 mSv y–1, and also well lower than the annual effective dose for general public (1.0 mSv y–1) recommended by the ICRP.