Assessment of 226Ra levels and the lifetime cancer fatality risk from drinking water in Muang District, Maha Sarakham province

Abstract

²²⁶Ra is radioactive and decayed from uranium, which is found naturally in soil and rock, and can get into water consumption supplies. Exposure to the radium in high doses, which is much higher than the levels seen in drinking water can be inducing cancer. In this study, A total of 69 drinking water samples were collected from Muang District, Maha Sarakham Province, and were measured ²²⁶Ra in water samples via Mn-fiber using gamma spectrometry (HPGe detector). The results showed that ²²⁶Ra concentrations ranged from 0 to 0.097 Bq/l and an average value of 0.025±0.003 Bq/l. All measured ²²⁶Ra concentrations are well below the allowed maximum level recommended by the WHO is 1 Bq/l. Lifetime cancer risk, as a result of ingestion of ²²⁶Ra by people from the study areas shows that an average of 3.81 out of 1,000,000 may go through some of the fatality cancer development, and 0.53 out of 1,000,000 may go through some of the hereditary effects.