Assessing carcinogenic radon levels in water from Er-Rachidia, Morocco using LR-115 nuclear track detectors

Khadour Said; Taha Yaseen Wais; Hassanain H. Al-Kazzaz; El Boukili Abderrahman; Laith A. Najam; Lhoucine Oufni; Moulay Brahim Sedra; Moha Amrane; M. I. Sayyed; Abdelmoneim Saleh; Howaida Mansour; Joseph Emmanuel Ndjana Nkoulou II

doi:10.1515/ract-2024-0323

Article

Assessing carcinogenic radon levels in water from Er-Rachidia, Morocco using LR-115 nuclear track detectors

Khadour Said , Taha Yaseen Wais , Hassanain H. Al-Kazzaz , El Boukili Abderrahman , Laith A. Najam , Lhoucine Oufni , Moulay Brahim Sedra , Moha Amrane , M. I. Sayyed , Abdelmoneim Saleh , Howaida Mansour and Joseph Emmanuel Ndjana Nkoulou II

Published/Copyright: December 17, 2024

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From the journal Radiochimica Acta Volume 113 Issue 3

Abstract

The current study investigates the presence ²²²Rn in tap water, natural spring water, and well water from various locations in Er-Rachidia, Morocco, to assess the potential radiological risks posed to the local community. Radon, a radioactive gas produced by the decay of uranium and thorium in rocks and soil, poses significant radiation hazards. Using a Nuclear Track Detector (LR-115), researchers investigated the presence of radon in water from wells, dams, and rivers. The highest radon concentrations are found in well water, with an average of 1.92 Bq/L. The concentration of river water is the lowest, coming in at 0.53 Bq/L, while the average concentration of dam water is 0.84 Bq/L. On average, the annual effective dosage for well water is 4.57 ms per year. The water dosages from dams range from 1.74 to 2.44 μSv/y, with 1.98 being the average. River water ranges from 0.51 to 1.69 mSv/y, averaging 1.24 µSv/y. The excess lifetime cancer risk varies significantly across water sources: 1.27 × 10−3 to 1.84 × 10−3 (average 1.60 × 10−3) for well water, 0.61 × 10−3 to 0.85 × 10−3 (average 0.69 × 10−3) for dam water, and 0.18 × 10−3 to 0.59 × 10−3 (average 0.43 × 10−3) for river water. The results dispel fears of significant radioactive dangers to the locals by suggesting that the measured radon concentrations are within the limits set by international organizations.

Keywords: radiological risks; radon; nuclear track detector; annual effective dosage

Corresponding author: M. I. Sayyed, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Isra University, Amman, Jordan, E-mail: dr.mabualssayed@gmail.com

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: Material preparation, data collection, analysis, funding and manuscript as a whole (writing the draft manuscript and revision the final form) were prepared by the authors of the manuscript KHADOUR Said; Taha Yaseen Wais, Hassanain H. Al-Kazzaz; EL BOUKILI Abderrahman; Laith A. Najam; Lhoucine Oufni; M B SEDRA; M Amrane; M.I. Sayyed; Abdelmoneim Saleh; Howaida Mansour, J. E. Ndjana Nkoulou II.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Research funding: None declared.
Data availability: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

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Received: 2024-06-22

Accepted: 2024-11-14

Published Online: 2024-12-17

Published in Print: 2025-03-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ract-2024-0323

Keywords for this article

radiological risks; radon; nuclear track detector; annual effective dosage