Studies on the Elimination Rate and the Radiation Exposure Following Ingestion of 222Rn Rich Water

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Abstract
Radon-222 and its daughters in drinking water causes a radiation dose to the stomach of the order of Maximum Permissible Dose if water containing 100 nCi 222Rn/l. is consumed regularly. To evaluate the radiation dose in real conditions two types of experiment were performed with a whole-body counter. In the first series of measurements the elimination of 214Bi from the body was followed in test subjects who had ingested radon-rich water in a single intake. A one-component exponential function with a biological half life varying from 30 to 50 min was found to describe the elimination of radon. Special attention was paid to the escape of radon from the water and its effect on the state of disequilibrium between radon and its daughters after intake. In the second series of measurements a group of persons who had consumed radon-rich water daily was studied. The daily radon intake of these persons was estimated at 60 nCi, obtained in two or three portions. From the results of the experiments the dose equivalent of 240–440 mrem μCi 222Rn was derived and the maximum daily intake was set at 0.1 μCi for 222Rn in drinking water.

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