Relationship between radon concentration and physicochemical parameters in groundwater of Erbil city, Iraq

Abstract

This study portrays the relationship between Radon activity concentration and physicochemical parameters in groundwater in Erbil city, Iraq. Primary data of groundwater samples were collected from five different zones in Erbil, during February 2019. Water samples were collected for both Radon measurement and physicochemical analysis. Water samples were taken from 24 different wells as a reference, then directly measured their radioactivity at the laboratory of Erbil Environment Office. Dissolved Radon 222 Rn in a sampled groundwater has been measured using an electronic Radon detector RAD 7. Determination of various parameters such as pH, total dissolved solids, total hardness, Sulfate, and Magnesium in groundwater has also been measured. Moreover, regression analysis illustrated that there is no significant relationship observed between pH, TDS, and hardness, Sulfate, and Magnesium with Radon activity concentration because these are no significant at the 95% confidence level. Otherwise, the correlation of determinate (R 2 ) values show the relationship between Sulfate and Magnesium with Radon concentration because these are significant at the 95% confidence level. All measurements were done in almost identical environmental conditions to avoid the minor differences in meteorological parameters.

Seasonal 222Rn activity in spring water close to rare earth element and uranium mines in North Vietnam

“…The values recorded during the rainy season were significantly lower than in the dry season, where the 222 Rn activity concentration in spring water was 900 ± 40-42,900 ± 1700 m −3 . These values are lower than the recommended international upper limit of 100 Bq L −1 (100,000 Bq m −3 ) [20], so they can be considered safe to drink in regards to radon activity concentration, the influence of the mines, if any, is limited. The 222 Rn activity ratio between dry and rainy seasons was calculated to range from 1.5 to 2.7 with an average value of 1.9.…”

“…The decay products of radon such as 210 Pb and 210 Po if inhaled can cause lung cancer and tissue damage [17,18], being the reason for thousands of cancer deaths each year [19]. Similarly ingesting radon rich water leads to the increase of intestinal cancers [20].…”

“…The WHO guidelines of 222 Rn concentration in drinking water recommend less than 100 Bq L −1 as acceptable [20]. Similarly, European Union recommendation is that concentrations below 100 Bq L −1 require no remedial action, while above 1000 Bq L −1 action is radiologically warranted.…”

Groundwater quality assessment for different uses using various water quality ‘indices in Shamamik basin of Erbil-northern Iraq

“…Based on figure 2 shown below, the pH of the groundwater system is neutral to the acidity with the pH ranges of natural waters falling within (4.5-8.5)(Liu,2020)". About 67% of the water samples available lies below WHO recommended standards of (6.5 to8.5) for domestic water use (Qadir et al, 2021). The majority of these high pH levels are found in the region's northernmost areas.…”

Radon Activity Concentration Measurements in the Water Collected from the Lower Zab River in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

“…These warm springs contain a considerable activity level arranged between 19.04 ± 0.55 Bq.L -1 and 30.11 ± 0.67 Bq.L -1 (Ahmad, Almuhsin and Hamad, 2021). The relationship between radon activity concentration and physicochemical parameters in groundwater of 24 different wells in Erbil city, Iraq, has been investigated using the RAD 7/H 2 O detector (Qadir, et al, 2021). The main purpose of this research is to determine the activity concentration of radon in water samples collected from the LZR in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq using a RAD-H 2 O semi-conductor radon detector, and its implications for human health.…”