Radon Concentration Measurements and Risk Assessments Around Uludağ Mountain (Bursa, Turkey)

Year 2017, Volume: 21 Issue: 3, 797 - 807, 12.09.2017

Ayşegül Kahraman Gizem Akkaya Gökay Kaynak

Abstract

The radon concentrations in the groundwater, tap water samples and soil gases of the residential areas and forested lands of Uludağ were measured to research on the dynamics of low-high radon levels over the various rocks types found in this area. Besides, the annual effective doses for groundwater and tap waters were calculated and compared with the recommended dose value by the World Health Organization (WHO) to evaluate the health risk of inhabitant. The radon concentrations in water samples for the wet and dry seasons were found in the ranges of 0.17 ± 0.09 - 195.64 ± 6.87 Bq l^-1 (median value of 5.13 Bq l^-1) and 0.04 ± 0.01 - 199.24 ± 6.54 Bq l^-1 (median value of 4.33 Bq l^-1), respectively. Elevated radon concentrations were measured in the waters draining through igneous rocks (granite and granodiorite), known as uranium-rich rocks. The average radon and thoron concentrations of soil gases were found to be in the ranges of 0.65 ± 0.01 – 199.66 ± 3.27 kBq m^-3 and 4.36 ± 0.36 – 245.9 ± 7.26 kBq m^-3, respectively. The highest and lowest radon and thoron concentrations in soil gases were observed in the granitic area and in scree region, respectively.

Keywords

Radon, Groundwater; Tap water; Soil; Dose

References

• [1] United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), 2000. Report to the General Assembly with Annexes. New York: United Nations Publication.
• [2] Darby S., Hill D., Auvinen A., Barros-Dios J.M., Baysson H., Bochicchio F., Deo H., Falk R., Forastiere F., Hakama M., Heid I., Kreienbrock L., Kreuzer M., Lagarde F., Makelainen I, Muirhead C., Oberaigner W., Pershagen G., Ruano-Ravina A., Ruosteenoja E., Rosario A.S., Tirmarche M., Tomasek L., Whitley E., Wichmann H.E., Doll R. 2005. Radon in Homes and Risk of Lung Cancer: Collaborative Analysis of Individual Data from 13 European Case-Control Studies. British Medical Journal, 330(7485), 223-226.
• [3] United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), 2008. Effects of ionizing radiation. In: Annex E, Sources-to-Effects Assessment for Radon in Homes and Workplaces. New York: United Nations Publication.
• [4] World Health Organization (WHO), 2008. Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality-Recommendations. Switzerland: WHO Press.
• [5] US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), 2012. Report to Congress: Radon in Drinking Water Regulations. US EPA 815-R-12-002.
• [6] Choubey, V.M., Ramola, R.C. 1997. Correlation between Geology and Radon Levels in Groundwater, Soil and Indoor Air in Bhilangana Valley, Garhwal Himalaya, India. Environmental Geology, 32(4), 258-262.
• [7] Voronov, A.N. 2004. Radon-rich Waters in Russia. Environmental Geology, 46(5), 630-634.
• [8] Örgün, Y., Altınsoy, N., Gültekin, A.H., Karahan, G., Çelebi, N. 2005. Natural Radioactivity Levels in Granitic Plutons and Groundwaters in Southeast Part of Eskisehir, Turkey. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 63(2), 267-275.
• [9] Ramola, R.C., Choubey, V.M., Prasad, Y., Prasad, G., Bartuya, S.K. 2006. Variation in Radon Concentration and Terrestrial Gamma Radiation Dose Rates in Relation to the Lithology in Southern Part of Kumaon Himalaya, India. Radiation Measurements, 41(6), 714-720.
• [10] Orgun, Y., Altinsoy, N., Sahin, S.Y., Gungor, Y., Gultekin, A.H., Karahan, G., Karacik, Z. 2007. Natural and Anthropogenic Radionuclides in Rocks and Beach Sands from Ezine Region (Canakkale), Western Anatolia, Turkey. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 65(6), 739-747.
• [11] Marocchi, M., Righi, S., Bargossi, G.M., Gasporotto, G. 2011. Natural Radionuclides Content and Radiological Hazard of Commercial Ornamental Stones: An Integrated Radiometric and Mineralogical-Petrographic Study. Radiation Measurements, 46(5), 538-545.
• [12] Zarroca, M., Linares, R., Bach, J., Roque, C., Moreno, V., Font, L., Baixeras, C. 2012. Integrated Geophysics and Soil Gas Profiles as a Tool to Characterize Active Faults: the Amer Fault Example (Pyrenees, NE Spain). Environmental Earth Sciences, 67(3), 889-910.
• [13] Seminsky, K.Z., Demberel, S. 2013. The First Estimations of Soil-Radon Activity near Faults in Central Mongolia. Radiation Measurements, 49, 19-34.
• [14] Tarakçı, M., Harmanşah, C., Saç, M.M., İçhedef, M. 2014. Investigation of the Relationships between Seismic Activities and Radon Level in Western Turkey. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 83, 12-17.
• [15] Yurdagül, A. 2004. Uludağ Granitoyidinin Litojeokimyasal İncelenmesi. İstanbul Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Yüksek Lisans Tezi, 139s, İstanbul.
• [16] Boiero, D., Godio, A., Naldi, M., Yigit, E. 2010. Geophysical Investigation of a Mineral Groundwater Resource in Turkey. Hydrogeology Journal, 18(5), 1219-1233.
• [17] Okay, A.I., Satir, M., Zattin, M., Cavazza, W., Topuz, G. 2008. An Oligocene Ductile Strike-Slip Shear zone: The Uludag Massif, Northwest Turkey – Implications for the Westward Translation of Anatolia. Geological Society of Amerika Bulletin, 120(7-8), 893-911.
• [18] Ketin, İ. 1947. About the Tectonic of Uludağ Massif. Türkiye Jeoloji Kurumu Bülteni, 1, 60-88.
• [19] Kaaden, G.v.d. 1959. Güneybatı Türkiye’de Peridotite Kitleleri İçinde Zuhur Eden Kromitlerin Kompozisyonu ile Tektonik-Magmatik Vaziyetleri Arasındaki Münasebet Hakkında. Maden Tetkik ve Arama Enstitüsü, 52, 15-34.
• [20] Okay, A.I. 2009. Bursa Arazi Gezisi. https://web.itu.edu.tr/~okay/dersler/bursagezi.pdf (Erişim Tarihi: 27.04.2017).
• [21] Akyol, N., Akinci, A., Eyidogan, H. 2002. Site Amplification of S-waves in Bursa City and Its Vicinity, Northwestern Turkey: Comparison of Different Approaches. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 22(7), 579-587.
• [22] Sendir, H., Sarıiz, K. 2009. The Geochemical Characteristics of the Bogazova Granitoid (KUTAHYA). Anadolu University Journal of Science and Technology, 10(2), 431-445.
• [23] Cengiz, İ., Genç, Y. 2003. Domaniç (Kütahya) Bakır-Molibden Cevherleşmesinin Jeolojisi ve Alterasyon Özellikleri. Jeoloji Mühendisliği Dergisi, 27(2), 47-75.
• [24] Pasvanoglu, S. 2011. Hydrogeochemical and Isotopic Investigation of the Bursa-Oylat Thermal Waters, Turkey. Environmental Earth Sciences, 64(4), 1157-1167.
• [25] Maden Tetkik ve Arama Genel Müdürlüğü (MTA), 1979. MTA Raporları: Bursa-İnegöl-Tahtaköptü-Demir Tepe Dolayı Vollastonit Aramaları Ara Raporu. https://eticaret.mta.gov.tr/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=6903 (Erişim Tarihi: 20.06.2017).
• [26] T.C. İnegöl Belediyesi, 2016. İnegöl-Yenice (Bursa) Islah Organize Sanayi Bölgesi Amaçlı 1/1.000 Ölçekli Uygulama İmar Planı Revizyonu Açıklama Raporu. http://www.inegol.bel.tr/media/documents/4518_1480402283.pdf (Erişim Tarihi: 20.06.2017).
• [27] Demange, M., Berson, F., Fonteilles, M., Pascal, M.-L., Öngen, S., F., M.-C., 1998. Wollastonite-garnet Skarns of Demir Tepe, Tahtaköprü (province of Bursa, Turkey). Académie des Sciences, 326, 771-778.
• [28] Okay, A.I., 2011. Tavşanlı Zonu: Anatolid-Torid Bloku’nun Dalma-Batmaya Uğramış Kuzey Ucu. MTA Dergisi, 142, 195-226.
• [29] Ertürk, D. 2010. Bursa İli Jeotermal Potansiyeli. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Yüksek Lisans Tezi, 94s, Isparta.
• [30] Akkaya, G., Kahraman, A., Koray, A., Kaynak, G. 2016. Variation in the radon concentrations and outdoor gamma radiation levels in relation to different geological formations in the thermal regions of Bursa, Turkey. Journal of Radiological Protection, 36(3), 490-503.
• [31] Todorovic, N., Nikolov, J., Forkapic, S., Bikit, I., Mrdja, D., Krmar, M., Veskovic, M. 2012. Public Exposure to Radon in Drinking Water in Serbia. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 70(3), 543-549.
• [32] Nikolov, J., Todorovic, N., Forkapic, S., Bikit, I., Mrdja, D. 2011. Radon in Drinking Water in Novi Sad. International Journal of Mathematical, Computational, Physical, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 5(4), 539-542.
• [33] National Research Council (NRC), 1999. Risk Assessment of Radon in Drinking Water. Washington: National Academy Press.
• [34] Tut Haklıdır, F.S. 2007. Bursa İli ve Çevresindeki Termal, Maden ve Yeraltı Sularının Jeokimyasal İncelenmesi. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Doktora Tezi, 328s, İzmir.
• [35] Akkaya, G., Kaynak, G., Kahraman A., Gurler, O. 2012. The Investigation of Radionuclide Distributions in Soil Samples Collected from Bursa, Turkey. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 152(4), 376-383.
• [36] Sakamoto, K., Hamajima, Y., Itoh, K., Yamazaki, K. 1980. Uranium Determinations by Xe-133 in Terrestrial Zircon, Apatite and Chromite-Comparative-Study on Thermal Releases of Fissiogenic Xeon from Terrestrial and Meteoritic Minerals. Journal of Radioanalytical Chemistry, 60(2), 343-352.
• [37] Singh, A.K., Padmasubashini, V., Gopal, L. 2012. Determination of Uranium, Thorium and Rare-earth Elements in Zircon Samples Using ICP-MS. Journal of Radioanalytical Chemistry, 294(1), 19-25.
• [38] De Francesco, S., Tommasone, F.P., Cuoco, E., Verrengia, G., Tedescon, D. 2010. Radon Hazard in Shallow Groundwaters: Amplification and Long Term Variability Induced by Rainfall. Science of the Total Environment, 408(4), 779-789.
• [39] De Oliveira, J., Mazzilli, B., Sampa, M.H.D.O., Silva, B. 1998. Seasonal Variations of 226Ra and 222Rn in Mineral Spring Waters of Aguas da Prata, Brazil. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 49(4), 423-427.
• [40] Lara, E.G., Rocha, Z., De O. Santos, T., Miguel, R.A., Neto, A.D., De B.C. Menezes, M.A., De Oliveira, A.H. 2011. Distribution of Soil Gas Radon Concentration in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, Brazil and Correlations with Litologies and Pedologies. International Nuclear Atlantic Conference, October 24-28, Brazil, 1-10.