Investigation of Radon in Groundwater and the Corresponding Human-Health Risk Assessment in Northeastern Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Radon is one of the most common human exposures as a natural radiation source and can cause lung, colon, and stomach cancer. In this study, groundwater from different wells was collected from the northeastern part of Saudi Arabia. The radon concentration was estimated using an electronic portable radon detector RAD7 with a big-bottle system. The annual effective dose of radon exposure by the ingestion and inhalation of water is calculated using the radon concentration for different age groups to assess the health risk of radon exposure. The calculated annual effective doses are then compared with the international risk limit standard as international organizations direct. The estimated radon concentration for groundwater samples in the searched area was between 0.03 and 3.20 Bq/L, with an average value of 1.16 Bq/L. These estimated values are far below the safety limit set by international organizations. The annual effective dose of radon exposure for infants, children and adults ranged from 0.05 to 16.24 μSv/y, with a mean value of 5.89 μSv/y. The health risk assessed by radon exposure for infants, children and adults was found to be in the safe limit recommended by international organizations.