Concentrations and characteristics of uranium isotopes in drinking waters collected in Italy and the Balkan regions and their radiological impact on the public

摘要

The concentrations and characteristics of uranium isotopes in drinking waters of Italy and the Balkan regions were studied. The obtained mean uranium activity concentrations in drinking waters in Italy are 20.6 ± 29.0 mBq l~(-1) for ~(238)U, 25.3 ± 35.6 mBq l~(-1) for ~(234)U and 1.00 ± 1.27 mBq l~(-1)for ~(235)U. The mean activity ratios are 1.33 ± 0.33 for ~(234)U/~(238)U and 0.047±0.038 for ~(235)U/~(238)U. The activity concentrations of uranium isotopes in waters of the Balkan regions are much lower than those in Italy. Depleted uranium has been detected in some water samples collected in the Balkan regions, but the measured concentrations do not constitute a health risk. The estimated average annual committed effective doses to the public due to water intake were 1.62 μSv yr~(-1) in Italy, 0.30 μSv yr~(-1) in Kosovo, 0.42 μSv yr~(-1) in Serbia and Montenegro, and 0.21 μSv yr~(-1) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.