An overview of the radiation properties of spring water in the rural areas of Central Serbia

The radon distribution in central Serbia and radiation safety of spring water traditionally used for drinking and other household purposes in the rural areas are estimated for the first time. A detailed terrain structure was prepared within the municipalities of Krusevac, Trstenik, Blace and Kursumlija. Radon concentration in spring water at 36 locations was measured by alpha spectrometry using the RAD 7 - RAD H2O system. The ambient equivalent dose of gamma radiation, water temperature, and pH were measured at site, and later are determined limits of radiation safety like the annual effective radiation doses of radon ingestion as the radon concentrations in stomach. The data were analysed using spatial distribution, cluster analysis, and multilinear regression analysis. The radon concentration varied from 1.9 +/- 0.9 Bq/L to 71.0 +/- 7.2 Bq/L, with average value at 17.1 Bq/L. Average values of the annual effective dose of radon ingestion are: for infants - 90.5 mu Sv/y, children - 33.3 mu Sv/y and adults - 43.7 mu Sv/y, which are below the recommended value of 100 mu Sv/y. The presented results can give a more exact mapping of radon radioactivity in Serbia, supplement the regional database on radon concentration, and help physicians pay attention to possible diseases caused by radiation in the questionable areas.