Radioactivity in Drinking Water of Bangladesh
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Jpn. J. Health Phys., 40 (2), 191-201 (2005) Report Radioactivity in Drinking Water of Bangladesh Shymal Ranjan CHAKRABORTY, *1 Abdus Sattar MOLLAH, *2, *3 Aleya BEGUM*2 and Gias Uddin AHMAD*4 (Received on August 17, 2004) (Accepted on February 21, 2005) The activity concentration levels of 232Th, 238U,40K and 137Csin drinking water of different locations of Bangladesh were measured by using a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The average activity levels with one standard deviation (lcr) of 232Th, 238Uand 40K were found to be 250+ 52 mBq/L-1, 157+30 mBq/L-1 and 9 + 3 Bq/L-1, respectively. The 137Cswas detected only in 32% samples with an average 4 +0.8 Bq/L-1. A good correlation between the activities of 232Thand 238Uwas found. The radium equivalent activity (Raeq) and the representative level index (Iyr) due to natural radionuclides were also calculated. The average Raeq was found to be 1,212+303 mBq/L-1 and the average Iyrwas found to be 10+3 mBq/L-1. The annual individual committed effective dose (HE) due to intake of radionuclides in water was also evaluated and the average value was found to be 74+21,iSv. The distribution of radionuclides was found to be normal except 137Cs.The radioactivity levels of these radionuclides were comparable to the corresponding reported values of drinking water of different countries. The results presented in this study may helpful in establishing a regulatory limit on radioactivity in drinking water in Bangladesh. KEY WORDS : drinking water, radioactivity of 232Th, 238U,40K and 137Cs,radium equivalent activity (Raeq), representative level index (Iyr), intake, committed effective dose, Bangladesh. such as 137Cs,90Sr, etc. if introduced into the environment, will I INTRODUCTION eventually reach humans via the food chain. Thus, artificial ra- Man is always exposed to natural radiation as well as artifi- dionuclide like 137Cs(T1/2 = 30.2 years) may contribute to the cial radiation sources. The radiation dose may be imparted to radiation dose that human receive from all sources. Caesi- body both internally and externally. The internal exposure is due um-137, which has chemical properties similar to potassium, to the intake of radionuclides through ingestion of contaminated distributes itself within the living cells in the same way as po- food and drinks, which are inextricably associated with food- tassium and is found mostly in the muscle. stuffs and drinks;and inhalation of contaminated air.The average Bangladesh is located at 880l' E - 9241' E longitude and at annual effective dose to adults from natural sources of ionizing latitude 2034' N - 2638' N having comparatively high popula- radiation is 2.4 mSv.1) tion density. Its geographical situation is downward to India. The terrestrial natural radiations are emitted due to the pres- Most of the rivers of Bangladesh have been originated from the ence of four radioactive decay series namely: uranium, thorium, hill tracts of India, Nepal, and Bhutan ; and flown through the actinium, and neptunium and some other non-series single ra- land of India. Therefore, its land (and consequently the ground dioisotopes, such as: 87Rb, 40K, 14Cand 3H in nature. Of these, water) might be contaminated by radioactive sources from up- the major contributions are from 232Th,238U and 40K. Soil, sand stream. and rock ; and consequently, the ground water contain a small As an aftermath of Chernobyl accident, the radioactivity lev- quantity of these elements. The internal dose from worldwide els in drinking water have been measured in different countries fallout is due to fission products that enter the human body of the world. In Bangladesh, no systematic countrywide data through drinks and other foodstuffs. Man-made radionuclides are available on radioactivity in water. Studies and surveys of environmental radioactivity are of great importance and interest * 1 Department of Physics , University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, in health physics not only for many practical reasons but also for Bangladesh. more fundamental scientific reasons. It is therefore necessary to *2 Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, 4 Kazi Nazrul Islam Av- enue, P. 0. Box 158, Ramna, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. know the present level of radioactivity in drinking water of Ban- *3 Correspondence author ; E-mail : asmollah@dhaka. agni. corn gladesh. In this context, a study was undertaken to measure the *4 Department of Physics, Bangladesh University of Engineering & radioactivity levels due to natural occurring and man-made ra- Technology, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. dionuclides in drinking water of 56 different locations of Ban- 192 Shymal Ranjan CHAKRABORTY, Abdus Sattar MoLLAH, Aleya BEGUM and Gias Uddin AHMAD gladesh. The results presented in this study may helpful in es- The crow-flight distance between two adjacent locations was tablishing a regulatory limit on radioactivity in drinking water in below 80 km. These 56 locations covered the entire geographical Bangladesh. area of Bangladesh. In each of the spot, community-based drinking water samples were collected for radioactivity assess- II MATERIALS AND METHODS ment. All of the field works were performed during the period In order to assess the radioactivity levels in drinking water January 1998-June 1998. The climate of Bangladesh is tropi- and consequent radiation dose level in Bangladesh, 56 sample cal, warm and wet, with rainy (approximately May- September) collecting spot as shown in Fig. 1, was selected by considering and dry (approximately October-April) seasons. The maximum the population density, area, and the communication system (s). rainfall is about 450 mm. Location 01. Akhaura (Brahminbaria) 02. Srimangal (Maulavibazar) 03. Sunamgonj 04. Jaflong (Goainghat, Sylhet) 05. Comilla 06. Chandpur 07. Feni 08. Noakhali 09. Hatiya (Noal hali) 10. Sandweep (Chittagong) 11. Dinajpur 12. Syedpur (Nilphamari) 13. Panchagarh 14. Rangpur 15. Gaibandha 16. Kurigram 17. Bogra 18. Ullapara (Sirajgonj) 19. Natore 20. Rajshahi 21. Nachole (Chapai Nawabgonj) 22. Kushtia 23. Faridpur 24. Gopalgonj 25. Jessore 26. Shyamnagar (Satkhira) 27. Khulna 28. Borguna 29. Shariatpur 30. Chorfashion (Bhola) 31. Barisal 32. Mymensingh 33. Kishoregonj 34. Jhenaigati (Sherpur) 35. Barhatta (Netrakona) 36. Kalihati (Tangail) 37. Aricha (Shibalaya, Manikgonj) 38. Munsiganj 39. Narsingdi 40. Teknaf (fox's Bazar) 41. Cox's Bazar 42. Roangchheri (Bandarban) 43. Chittagong 44. Khagrachheri 45. Rangamati 46. Roop Pur (Ishwardi, Pabna) 47. Chuadanga 48. Kuakata (Khepupara, Potuakhali) 49. Pirojpur 50. Badalgachhi (Naogaon) 51. Laksbmipur 52. Nabigonj (Habigonj) 53. Sripur (Gazipur) 54. Ashulia (Savar, Dhaka) 55. Sonargaon(Narayangonj) 56. BUET (Dhaka) Fig. 1 Map of Bangladesh showing different locations of sample collection. Radioactivity in Drinking Water of Bangladesh 193 1. Sample Collection per second corresponding to the energy of 1,460.75 keV emitted From each of the pre-selected 56 sampling stations, drinking from 40K (10.70%) ; and counts per second corresponding to the water samples were collected. In every spot, a community- energy 661.66 keV emitted from 137Cs (85.21%) were consid- tubewell or any other community based water supply system ered. After determination of the integral counts under the gam- like municipality water supply was selected from where most of ma energy peaks of interest the specific gamma activities of the the people collected their drinking water. In Jaflong (Sylhet) individual samples for specific radionuclide were then calcu- where many people use the water of Jaflong-river (Piyain river), lated by employing the formula3 two samples were collected; one from a tubewell and the other A= from Piyain-river. The water sample from the lake nearby Ran- s(E)clXV (1) gamati town was collected as it represents the drinking water of Y where, A is the activity of the sample in Bq/L-1, C is the peak Rangamati's people. In all cases, 1.2 L of water was collected area counts in CPS, e (E) is the efficiency of the detector at and packed within air-tight plastic bottles to avoid any leakage energy E (keV), I is the photon emission probability at energy and spillage. An individual identification mark was given on E (keV), and Vis the volume of water samples in litre (L). Then each of the water sample bottle by non-erasable markers. by different calculations, the activities of the radionuclides 2. Sample Preparation 212Pb, 208T1, 228Ac, 214Pb, 214Bi, 40K and 137Cs; and ultimately, Water samples were measured by measuring flask and 1 L of the activities of 232Th, 238U, 40K and 137Cs in each of the water water from each of the collected sample was poured into the Ma- sample were calculated. The 232Thactivity was found by aver- rinelli beakers and sealeddair-tightly. The sealed water samples aging the activity of 212Pb, 3 times activity of 208T1,and the ac- were allowed to attain the radioactive secular equilibrium be- tivity of 228Ac. The activity of 238Uin each sample was found tween the gaseous (222Rnand 22oRn) and non-gaseous radioac- out by averaging the activities of 214Pb, calculated from 609.31 tive decay products (of the natural radioactive serieses) with keV and 214Bicalculated from 1,120.29 keV photo peak. The their respective parents and daughters by preserving them in an activities of 40Kand 137Cswere obtained by direct measurement airtight condition for 28 days. 2) All sample preparation and from single energy photopeak 1,460.75 keV and 661.66 keV re- measurements were carried out at the Radiation Control and spectively. Waste Management Division, Institute of Nuclear Science and The statistical fluctuations in the readings were considered by Technology, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Gana- using standard formulas and method. 4-6) In the present study, kbari, Savar, Dhaka. +16 of all the measurements were considered as it covers 68% 3. Equipment Setup of most probable values. The radioactivity measurement was carried out by employing The effective dose due to intake of radionuclides through an HPGe detector of relative efficiency 22% and energy reso- water for each of the sampling location were calculated by using lution (FWHM) 2.12 keV for the 1,332 keV of 60Co (supplied the conversion factors.