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Assessment of Natural Radioactivity Levels and Radiological Significance of Bottled Drinking Water in Bangladesh

Received: 30 August 2015     Accepted: 23 October 2015     Published: 3 December 2015
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Abstract

This study deals with the assessment of natural radioactivity due to 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in bottled drinking water samples, marketed in Bangladesh. High purity germanium (HPGe) detector based spectrometry system coupled with Multi Channel Analyzer (MCA) was used to obtain gamma-ray spectra. The mean concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found to be 3.28±2.10, 6.40±2.92 and 18.26±17.49 Bq.L-1 respectively. The committed effective doses due to ingestion of natural radionuclides from the consumption of bottled water for four different age groups were estimated. The annual cumulative effective doses due to all three natural radionuclides for different age groups of children (2–7 y), 7–12 y, 12–17 y and adults (>17 y) were estimated to be 1.54, 2.07, 3.41 and 1.83 mSv y-1 respectively. Among the three natural radionuclides, annual effective doses due to intake of 226Ra for age groups 7-12 y and 12-17y are significant. For children (2-7 y) and adults (>17 y), annual effective doses due to intake of 232Th are significant. The obtained results are compared with the reported and recommended values from other countries and international organizations respectively. However, annual estimated effective doses for all four age groups from the intake of natural radionuclides in bottled drinking water were higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended limit of 0.10 mSvy-1 as well as the average radiation dose of 0.29 mSvy-1 received per head worldwide due to ingestion of natural radionuclides assessed by UNSCEAR -2000.

Published in American Journal of Physics and Applications (Volume 3, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajpa.20150306.13
Page(s) 203-207
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

MCA, HPGe Detector, Natural Radioactivity, Effective Dose, Radiation Exposure and Radio-Nuclides

References
[1] Beverage Marketing Corporation (2014); The U.S. Liquid Refreshment Beverage Market Remained Flat in 2013; 29 December 2014; (http://www.beveragemarketing.com/news-detail.asp?id=299).
[2] Isam Salih MM., Pettersson HB, and Lund E.; “Uranium and Thorium Series Radionuclides in Drinking Water from Drilled Bedrock Wells: Correlation to Geology and Bedrock Radioactivity and Dose Estimation”; Radiat. Prot. Dosim. 102(3) (2002), 249–258.
[3] United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation. Report to the General Assembly (NY: UN) (2000).
[4] Rowland RE.; “Low-Level Radium Retention by the Human Body: A Modification of the ICRP Publication 20 Retention Equation” Health Phys. 65(5) (1993), p.507-13.
[5] International Bottled Association (IBWA). Code of Practice. Revised March, 2005.
[6] Chowdhury I. M., M. N. Alam, and A. K. S. Ahmed; (1998), “Concentration of Radionuclides in Building and Ceramic Materials of Banglesh and Evaluation of Radiation Hazard”. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 231(1–2), 117–122.
[7] Alam M. N(b), M. M. H. Miah, M. I. Chowdhury, M. Kamal, S. Ghose, M. N. Islam, M. Mustafa and M. S. R. Miah, 1999, Radiation Dose Estimation from the Radioactivity Analysis of Lime and Cement used in Bangladesh. J. Environ. Radioact. 42, pp 77–85.
[8] Mollah A. S., G. U. Ahmed, S. R. Husain, and M. M. Rahman, 1986, The Natural Radioactivity of Some Building Materials used in Bangladesh. Health Phys. 50(6), pp 849–851.
[9] Roy S., M. S. Alam, F. K. Miah and B. Alam, Concentrations of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides and Fission Products in Brick Samples Fabricated and Used, in and around Greater Dhaka City. Radiation Protection Dosimetry Vol. 88, No. 3, pp. 255– 260. Nuclear Technology Publishing, 2000.
[10] Roy S., M. S. Alam, M. Begum and B. Alam (2005), Radioactivity in Building Materials used in and around Dhaka City, Radiation Protection Dosimetry, volume 114, pp 527-532.
[11] Alam M. N(a), M. I. Chowdhury, M. Kamal, S. Ghose, M. N. Islam, M. N. Mustafa and P. Roy, Radioactivity in Soil of Chittagong Hill, Nuclear Science and Applications, BAEC, Volume 4, No 1, 1995.
[12] Alam M.N(c)., M.I. Chowdhury, M. Kamal, S. Ghose, M.N. Islam and M. Anwaruddin, Radiological Assessment of Drinking Water of The Chittagong Region of Bangladesh, Radiation Protection Dosimetry 82/3 (1999), pp 207-214.
[13] Phipps, A. W., Kendall, G. M., Stather, J.W. and Fell, T. P. Committed Effective Doses from ontakes Of Radionuclides. NRPB-R245 (Chilton, Didcot, Oxon: NRPB) (1991).
[14] Aswathanarayana U (1985). Principles of Nuclear Geology. Ozonian Press Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, pp 85-87.
[15] Fredj A. Ben, N. Hizem, M. Chelbi, and L. Ghedira, Quantitative analysis of gamma-ray emitters radionuclides in commercial bottled water in Tunisia, Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 117/4 (2005), pp 419-424.
[16] Arabi A. M. El, N. K. Ahmed and K. Salahel Din, Natural Radionuclides and Dose Estimation in Natural Water Resources from Elba Protective Area, Egypt. Radiat. Prot. Dosim. Doi: 1093/Rpd/Ncl022, Advance Access Published on Feb 23, 2006.
[17] World Health Organization. Guidelines for drinking water quality (Geneva: WHO), 1993.
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  • APA Style

    M. Moshiur Rahman, Apurba Mondal, M. A. Kabir, K. Asaduzzaman. (2015). Assessment of Natural Radioactivity Levels and Radiological Significance of Bottled Drinking Water in Bangladesh. American Journal of Physics and Applications, 3(6), 203-207. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpa.20150306.13

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    ACS Style

    M. Moshiur Rahman; Apurba Mondal; M. A. Kabir; K. Asaduzzaman. Assessment of Natural Radioactivity Levels and Radiological Significance of Bottled Drinking Water in Bangladesh. Am. J. Phys. Appl. 2015, 3(6), 203-207. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpa.20150306.13

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    AMA Style

    M. Moshiur Rahman, Apurba Mondal, M. A. Kabir, K. Asaduzzaman. Assessment of Natural Radioactivity Levels and Radiological Significance of Bottled Drinking Water in Bangladesh. Am J Phys Appl. 2015;3(6):203-207. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpa.20150306.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajpa.20150306.13,
      author = {M. Moshiur Rahman and Apurba Mondal and M. A. Kabir and K. Asaduzzaman},
      title = {Assessment of Natural Radioactivity Levels and Radiological Significance of Bottled Drinking Water in Bangladesh},
      journal = {American Journal of Physics and Applications},
      volume = {3},
      number = {6},
      pages = {203-207},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajpa.20150306.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpa.20150306.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajpa.20150306.13},
      abstract = {This study deals with the assessment of natural radioactivity due to 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in bottled drinking water samples, marketed in Bangladesh. High purity germanium (HPGe) detector based spectrometry system coupled with Multi Channel Analyzer (MCA) was used to obtain gamma-ray spectra. The mean concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found to be 3.28±2.10, 6.40±2.92 and 18.26±17.49 Bq.L-1 respectively. The committed effective doses due to ingestion of natural radionuclides from the consumption of bottled water for four different age groups were estimated. The annual cumulative effective doses due to all three natural radionuclides for different age groups of children (2–7 y), 7–12 y, 12–17 y and adults (>17 y) were estimated to be 1.54, 2.07, 3.41 and 1.83 mSv y-1 respectively. Among the three natural radionuclides, annual effective doses due to intake of 226Ra for age groups 7-12 y and 12-17y are significant. For children (2-7 y) and adults (>17 y), annual effective doses due to intake of 232Th are significant. The obtained results are compared with the reported and recommended values from other countries and international organizations respectively. However, annual estimated effective doses for all four age groups from the intake of natural radionuclides in bottled drinking water were higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended limit of 0.10 mSvy-1 as well as the average radiation dose of 0.29 mSvy-1 received per head worldwide due to ingestion of natural radionuclides assessed by UNSCEAR -2000.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Assessment of Natural Radioactivity Levels and Radiological Significance of Bottled Drinking Water in Bangladesh
    AU  - M. Moshiur Rahman
    AU  - Apurba Mondal
    AU  - M. A. Kabir
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    T2  - American Journal of Physics and Applications
    JF  - American Journal of Physics and Applications
    JO  - American Journal of Physics and Applications
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    EP  - 207
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-4308
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpa.20150306.13
    AB  - This study deals with the assessment of natural radioactivity due to 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in bottled drinking water samples, marketed in Bangladesh. High purity germanium (HPGe) detector based spectrometry system coupled with Multi Channel Analyzer (MCA) was used to obtain gamma-ray spectra. The mean concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found to be 3.28±2.10, 6.40±2.92 and 18.26±17.49 Bq.L-1 respectively. The committed effective doses due to ingestion of natural radionuclides from the consumption of bottled water for four different age groups were estimated. The annual cumulative effective doses due to all three natural radionuclides for different age groups of children (2–7 y), 7–12 y, 12–17 y and adults (>17 y) were estimated to be 1.54, 2.07, 3.41 and 1.83 mSv y-1 respectively. Among the three natural radionuclides, annual effective doses due to intake of 226Ra for age groups 7-12 y and 12-17y are significant. For children (2-7 y) and adults (>17 y), annual effective doses due to intake of 232Th are significant. The obtained results are compared with the reported and recommended values from other countries and international organizations respectively. However, annual estimated effective doses for all four age groups from the intake of natural radionuclides in bottled drinking water were higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended limit of 0.10 mSvy-1 as well as the average radiation dose of 0.29 mSvy-1 received per head worldwide due to ingestion of natural radionuclides assessed by UNSCEAR -2000.
    VL  - 3
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    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Physics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

  • Department of Physics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

  • Department of Physics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

  • Nuclear Electronics Division, Institute of Electronics, Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE), Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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