The assessment of the annual effective dose due to ingestion of radionuclides from drinking water consumption: calculation methods

Human health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements and microplastics accumulation in products from the Danube River Basin fish market

The present study aimed to quantify the concentration levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, and mercury, as well as microplastics occurrence in various tissues of fish and seafood species, commercialized in the Lower Danube River Basin. A health risk assessment analysis was performed based on the PTEs concentration levels in the muscle tissue. Estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and target cancer risk (TR) of PTEs were calculated. It was observed that the species within the seafood category registered the highest levels of PTEs. For instance, in the muscle tissue of bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis (from the Black Sea), the highest value was observed in the case of Zn (37.693 mg/kg), and the presence of polystyrene polymer was identified. The values associated with EDI, THQ, HI, and TR of PTE exposure were significantly lower than 1.

Radiation exposure in a region with natural high background radiation originated from rare earth element deposits at Bat Xat district, Vietnam

Surface deposits of rare earth element (REE) were identified in the Bat Xat district, Northern Vietnam. As the area is inhabited, an in-depth investigation was carried out to assess the radioactivity levels and to evaluate the radiation exposure and radiological risks for the population. Samples of REE ore, soils, water and several foods locally produced were collected and analyzed by gamma spectrometry for determination of ²³²Th, ²²⁶Ra, and ⁴⁰ K. Radon (²²²Rn and ²²⁰Rn) measurements were carried out in dwellings at the villages located near by the REE deposit area, and in Hanoi for comparison. Based on the measured radionuclide concentrations, several radiological parameters were calculated to evaluate the radiological risks for the population and to compare with worldwide values. Results indicate that the representative person of the most exposed group living near the REE deposits may receive a total annual effective dose as high as 37.9 ± 10.6 mSv, i.e., approximately 16 times the world average dose of 2.4 mSv y^-1. Consequently, this area should be considered a high background radiation area. Exposure to external radiation and internal radiation from ingestion and inhalation of radionuclides were assessed separately. Radon inhalation contributed to approximately 70% of the total annual effective dose, with both radon isotopes contributing significantly, while the ingestion of local foods and water gave minor contributions to the total effective dose. Several measures were considered to improve the radiation safety and recommendations are given to relocate the most exposed members of the population.

Radiological investigation of natural carbonated spring waters from Eastern Carpathians, Romania

The current study presents a radiological water-quality assessment on 64 spring water samples from four Romanian counties. The study area is abundant in CO2-rich spring waters consumed by locals and tourists. Gross alpha activities ranged between 21 ± 2 and 7530 ± 658 mBq L−1, with 27% of the samples exceeding the WHO threshold. Gross beta values ranged from 40 ± 2 to 5520 ± 430 mBq L−1, with 29% exceeding the recommended values. Radionuclide activities fluctuated between 0.6 ± 0.08 and 81 ± 6 Bq L−1 for 222Rn, 15 ± 2 to 1154 ± 112 mBq L−1 for 226Ra, and from 18 ± 2 to 64 ± 5 mBq L−1 for 210Po. The annual effective doses attributed to radium varied between 0.002 and 0.23 mSv yr−1.