Radionuclides in Dissi Water

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Key Questions …

• Are we in need for water?

• Do we have alternatives?
• How much can we invest?
• Is it only cost in money we should consider?
• Is it only cost in health we should consider?
• Are we unique regarding the situation?
• If we say “No”, what can we do after?
• If we say “Yes”, under what conditions?
This is a collective responsibility
for all of us to share.
Dissi Water Consultative Committee.
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 TO START WITH …
ALARA CONCEPT (The Philosophy):
As Low As Reasonably Achievable

Balancing the assumed risks

of radiation exposure against
the benefits.
Is the risk worth the
benefit?
www.world-nuclear.org

• <100mSv risks are assumed rather than

demonstrated.
• Threshold ????? Ethical issues.
Dissi Water Consultative Committee.
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 ICRP
Annual Additional fatal
Dose cancer risk per
(mSv) million people
0.1 5
0.5 25
1.0 50

Genetic
disorders are
much less than
cancer risks.

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 WHO
We most
frequently will
need to take this
route.

???

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 WHO

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Dose
Bq / L L/a
mSv / a mSv / Bq

D = AQC
???
Guidance 0.1 mSv / a
Level D
(For a given isotope)
G= 365 x 2
CQ =
Dissi Water Consultative Committee. 730 L / a
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Dose

Ai
∑i G ≤ 1
i
• WAJ can do only 226 Ra … !!!
• Data available from international labs for “some” isotopes.
• Total does not account for GROSS activities.
• Enhance national labs and HR.
• Worst case scenario or use a model.

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Most Important Dose Coefficients
mSv/ Bq

238
U alpha 4.5x10-5
234
U alpha 4.9x10-5
230
Th alpha 2.1x10-4
226
Ra alpha 2.8x10-4
210
Poalpha 1.2x10-3
232
Th alpha 2.3x10-4
228
Th alpha 7.2x10-5
224
Ra alpha 7.6x10-5
210
PbBeta 6.9x10-4
228
Ra Beta 6.9x10-4
Dissi Water Consultative Committee.
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Worst Case Scenario

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Worst Case Scenario

• Gross Alpha comes only from 226 Ra (Assumption).

0.5 Bq / L  0.1022 mSv / a
• Gross Beta comes only from 228 Ra (Assumption).
1.0 Bq / L  0.5037 mSv / a

Total ~ 0.6 mSv / a

• But Dissi gross activity concentrations
exceed the limits of 0.5 and 1.0 Bq / L, for
alpha and beta, respectively.
Dissi Water Consultative Committee.
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 WAJ
Ra (some old data)
226

Source Collected A D
(Bq / L) (mSv / a)
M8 well 2001 0.93 0.19
K3023 2001 0.21 0.04
BH11 P 2001 < DL ---- not used
ED1302
Minisheer
2004 1.10 0.23 closed
Aqaba Network 2004 0.33 0.07
Aqaba main
reservoir
2004 0.3 0.06
A long list --- --- --- ---
Dissi Water Consultative Committee.
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 WAJ
2005

WAJ can do only 226 Ra … !!!

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 WAJ

wells supplying Aqaba:

Gross Alpha Gross Beta
2.06 Bq/L (> 0.5) 1.50 Bq/L (> 1.0)
and for Aqaba distribution network:
1.22 Bq/L (> 0.5) 1.26 Bq/L (> 1.0)
(0.75 – 2.77) (0.85 – 2.24)

Conclusion: Individual isotopes should be

measured.

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 A Model
• Alpha: Gross = 2 Bq/L  worst case 0.4 mSv/a
15% 226 Ra (C=2.8x10-4 ) + 85% YX (C=1x10-4 )
 0.18 mSv/a
• Beta: Gross = 1.5 Bq/L  worst case 0.75 mSv/a
50% 228 Ra (C=6.9x10-4 ) + 50% YX (C=5x10-5 )
 0.40 mSv/a
• Total: 0.58 mSv/a
Mix with Dabooq (3:1)
• Alpha: [(2 Bq/L x 3) + (0.18 Bq/L x 1)]/4 = 1.5 Bq/L
 0.14 mSv/a
• Beta: [(1.5 Bq/L x 3) + (0.44 Bq/L x 1)]/4 = 1.2 Bq/L
 0.33 mSv/a
• Total: 0.47 mSv/a
Dissi Water Consultative Committee.
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 A Model
Mix with Dabooq (1:1)
Alpha: [2 Bq/L + 0.18 Bq/L]/2 = 1.1 Bq/L
 0.1 mSv/a
Beta: [1.5 Bq/L + 0.44 Bq/L]/2 = 0.97 Bq/L
 0.26 mSv/a
Total: 0.36 mSv/a

Remember ALARA
Dissi Water Consultative Committee.
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Australia (As an example)

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Australia (As an example)

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Australia (As an example)

It was 0.1 mSv / a in 1996 … !

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Average Doses from Natural Sources

Internal dose not included

(radon included)

Aqaba
Dissi Water Consultative Committee.
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Average Doses from Natural Sources

3.6 mSv

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 Average Doses from Natural Sources

WHO

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006
 To be short …

Conclusions:
???
Dissi Water Consultative Committee.
Saed Dababneh, 2006
 On Radon (an extra slide …!)

Dissi Water Consultative Committee.

Saed Dababneh, 2006