Radon in drinking water in the Białystok region of Poland

Radon is a natural radioactive element with more than 50% of its contribution to the total effective dose obtained by the Polish population [3]. Elevated Rn-222 concentration indoors can in some cases cause elevated radiological risk connected with lungs and bronchi. Water is one of the sources of 222Rn presence in flats [8, 12]. As radon is soluble in water, it is transported with water to indoors where it is released. The presence of radon in ground waters is caused by direct migration of 222Rn from rocks and soil (to waters) as well as by small amounts from radium content in water. In the region, where drinking water shows high radon concentration, a large amount of this gas can be transported to indoors. Radon release from water to air depends on the way water is used. Boiling and spraying increase radon escape, which, in consequence, leads to an increase of its concentration in bathrooms and kitchens. As a result, radon concentration in air also depends on the amount of water used, building’s volume and its ventilation. Radon concentration changes markedly from low in fresh superficial water to relatively high in drilled well water [6, 14]. It is estimated that radon in the indoor air is increased by 1 Bq·m–3 out of Radon in drinking water in the Bialystok region of Poland Maria Karpinska, Jacek Kapala, Zenon Mnich, Andrzej Szpak