Health Risk of Polonium 210 Ingestion via Drinking Water: An Experience of Malaysia

Abstract

The presence of toxic polonium-210 (Po-210) in the environment is due to the decay of primordial uranium-238. Meanwhile, several studies have reported elevated Po-210 radioactivity in the rivers around the world due to both natural and anthropogenic factors. However, the primary source of Po-210 in Langat River, Malaysia might be the natural weathering of granite rock along with mining, agriculture and industrial activities. Hence, this is the first study to determine the Po-210 activity in the drinking water supply chain in the Langat River Basin to simultaneously predict the human health risks of Po-210 ingestion. Therefore, water samples were collected in 2015–2016 from the four stages of the water supply chain to analyze by Alpha Spectrometry. Determined Po-210 activity, along with the influence of environmental parameters such as time-series rainfall, flood incidents and water flow data (2005–2015), was well within the maximum limit for drinking water quality standard proposed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and World Health Organization. Moreover, the annual effective dose of Po-210 ingestion via drinking water supply chain indicates an acceptable carcinogenic risk for the populations in the Langat Basin at 95% confidence level; however, the estimated annual effective dose at the basin is higher than in many countries. Although several studies assume the carcinogenic risk of Po-210 ingestion to humans for a long time even at low activity, however, there is no significant causal study which links Po-210 ingestion via drinking water and cancer risk of the human. Since the conventional coagulation method is unable to remove Po-210 entirely from the treated water, introducing a two-layer water filtration system at the basin can be useful to achieve SDG target 6.1 of achieving safe drinking water supplies well before 2030, which might also be significant for other countries.

Assessing Cadmium and Chromium Concentrations in Drinking Water to Predict Health Risk in Malaysia

“…3,5,7 Laboratory results of this study. 4,6,8 Predicted concentrations in treated, tap, and household filter water were calculated on the basis of the percentage change of metal concentrations in the river. HH refers to household.…”

“…Cadmium (Cd) and Chromium (Cr) in the aquatic environment are mainly from the erosion of natural deposits [1,2], but can also be a result of discharge from metal refineries and runoff from waste batteries and paints [3][4][5][6]. The detrimental impact of toxic Cd and Cr on living organisms in the aquatic environment is due to their prolonged persistence and non-biodegradable characteristics [7,8].…”

Investigating the Status of Cadmium, Chromium and Lead in the Drinking Water Supply Chain to Ensure Drinking Water Quality in Malaysia

“…The Langat River is one the prime sources of drinking water in the Selangor state of Malaysia; however, the pollution of this river is one of the significant threats to the local populations and biodiversity [1][2][3][4]. The water of this river is used for drinking, domestic and agricultural activities [5], as well as for industrial activities [6][7][8][9].…”

“…As a result, both the local biodiversity and human beings are affected severely [23], and the populations might suffer from water-borne diseases [15] as well as diseases from chemical ingestion via drinking water. The studies on the prevalence of radioactive elements in soil and water in Malaysia also reported that the radioactive elements could lead to cancer if the treated water remained contaminated [1,24,25]. Hence, it has been very much critical as the demand for freshwater in Malaysia would increase to 113% in 2020, i.e., 20,338 m 3 /day compared to 9543 m 3 /day in 1995.…”

Drinking Water Quality and Human Health: An Editorial

“…The latter developed the methodology used in Minnesota to derive guidelines—taking the enhanced exposure of young babies to water chemicals into particular consideration [24]. Finally, the paper on radioactivity presented a description of Polonium 210 water contamination in Malaysia [25].…”