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Al-Shammari HF, Al-Jarba MA, Al-Shammeri JM, Al-Ateeqi S, Ismaeel A, Al-Boloushi A. Risk assessment of gross alpha-beta activity concentration in drinking water in Kuwait: baseline measurements and review. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2025; 197:392. [PMID: 40082262 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-025-13847-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2025] [Indexed: 03/16/2025]
Abstract
This study measured the gross alpha and beta radiation in Kuwait's drinking water sources, including local and imported bottled and public-piped water, to assess safety and establish consumer trust. The assessment aimed to establish a baseline for gross alpha and gross beta activity levels and to validate a rapid emergency detection method, following World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The results indicated that gross alpha and beta radiation concentrations and total effective doses remained within the safe limits established by WHO for all water types. Specifically, the measured values were as follows: local bottled water (0.034 ± 0.002 Bq/L for alpha, 0.078 ± 0.04 Bq/L for beta, and 0.046 ± 0.022 mSv/y for total effective dose), imported bottled water (0.031 ± 0.001 Bq/L for alpha, 0.066 ± 0.02 Bq/L for beta, and 0.04 ± 0.01 mSv/y for total effective dose), and public-piped water (0.029 ± 0.0004 Bq/L for alpha, 0.041 ± 0.001 Bq/L for beta, and 0.026 ± 0.001 mSv/y for total effective dose). The measured gross alpha and beta values, which affect the total (annual) effective dose, were below the WHO reference levels for gross activity (0.5 ± 0.01 Bq/L for alpha, 1 ± 0.13 Bq/L for beta, and 0.1 mSv/y for the annual effective dose). This indicates that the water is acceptable for human consumption without any safety concerns. However, three bottled water samples exhibited higher gross beta activity concentrations than the others; these samples require specialized nuclide analysis using advanced methods to determine their radionuclide content, influencing the estimated effective dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanadi F Al-Shammari
- Environmental Climate Change Program, Environment and Life Sciences Research Centre, Kuwait Institution for Scientific Research, 24885, SAFAT 13109, Kuwait, Kuwait.
| | - Mashael A Al-Jarba
- Environmental Climate Change Program, Environment and Life Sciences Research Centre, Kuwait Institution for Scientific Research, 24885, SAFAT 13109, Kuwait, Kuwait
| | - Jehan M Al-Shammeri
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait, Kuwait, 24923, SAFAT 13110
| | - Salim Al-Ateeqi
- Environmental Climate Change Program, Environment and Life Sciences Research Centre, Kuwait Institution for Scientific Research, 24885, SAFAT 13109, Kuwait, Kuwait
| | - Anfal Ismaeel
- Environmental Climate Change Program, Environment and Life Sciences Research Centre, Kuwait Institution for Scientific Research, 24885, SAFAT 13109, Kuwait, Kuwait
| | - Aisha Al-Boloushi
- Environmental Climate Change Program, Environment and Life Sciences Research Centre, Kuwait Institution for Scientific Research, 24885, SAFAT 13109, Kuwait, Kuwait
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Olaniyi DO, Nwankwo C, Akerele OO, Oyeyemi SM, Owoade LR. Natural radioactivity in sachet drinking water produced in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2025; 197:328. [PMID: 40000486 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-025-13779-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025]
Abstract
Natural radioactivity in 20 brands of sachet water produced in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, was analyzed using well-shielded, calibrated NaI(Tl) gamma spectroscopy. The measured activity concentration varies from 0.41 ± 0.05 Bql-1 to 8.78 ± 0.97 Bql-1 for 232Th and 4.29 ± 0.4 Bql-1 to 37.48 ± 2.51 Bql-1 for 40 K, and below detection level for 226Ra. The mean annual effective dose calculated for the age groups 0-1 year, 1-2 years, 2-7 years, 7-12 years, 12-17 years, and > 17 years is 4.63, 0.54, 0.49, 0.51, 0.55, and 0.68 mSv respectively. The total annual effective dose from consumption of some of the sachet water exceeded the world average values of 0.12 mSv reported by UNSCEAR. The values also exceed the WHO- and ICRP-recommended values of 0.1 mSv and 1.0 mSv respectively. This showed that there might be radiological risks arising from the consumption of the analyzed sachet water.
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Affiliation(s)
- D O Olaniyi
- National Institute of Radiation Protection and Research, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
| | - C Nwankwo
- National Institute of Radiation Protection and Research, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - O O Akerele
- National Institute of Radiation Protection and Research, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - S M Oyeyemi
- National Institute of Radiation Protection and Research, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - L R Owoade
- National Institute of Radiation Protection and Research, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
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Pourfadakari S, Dobaradaran S, De-la-Torre GE, Mohammadi A, Saeedi R, Spitz J. Evaluation of occurrence of organic, inorganic, and microbial contaminants in bottled drinking water and comparison with international guidelines: a worldwide review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:55400-55414. [PMID: 35668268 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21213-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of inorganic and organic substances as well as microbial contaminants in bottled drinking water on a global scale. The findings were compared to WHO guidelines, EPA standards, European Union (EU) directive, and standards drafted by International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). Our review showed that 46% of studies focused on the organic contaminants, 25% on physicochemical parameters, 12% on trace elements, 7% on the microbial quality, and 10% on microplastics (MPs) and radionuclides elements. Overall, from the 54 studies focusing on organic contaminants (OCs) compounds, 11% of studies had higher OCs concentrations than the standard permissible limit. According to the obtained results from this review, several OCs, inorganic contaminants (IOCs), including CHCl3, CHBrCl2, DEHP, benzene, styrene, Ba, As, Hg, pb, Ag, F, NO3, and SO4 in bottled drinking water of some countries were higher than the international guidelines values that may cause risks for human health in a long period of time. Furthermore, some problematic contaminants with known or unknown health effects such as EDCs, DBP, AA, MPs, and some radionuclides (40K and 222Rn) lack maximum permissible values in bottled drinking water as stipulated by international guidelines. The risk index (HI) for OCs and IOCs (CHBrCl2, Ba, As, and Hg) was higher than 1 in adults and children, and the value of HI for CHCl3 in children was more than 1. Thus, further studies are required to have a better understanding of all contaminants levels in bottled drinking water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudabeh Pourfadakari
- Systems Environmental Health and Energy Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Boostan 19 Alley, Imam Khomeini Street, Bushehr, 7514763448, Iran
| | - Sina Dobaradaran
- Systems Environmental Health and Energy Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Boostan 19 Alley, Imam Khomeini Street, Bushehr, 7514763448, Iran.
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health and Niutrition, Bushehr, Iran.
- Instrumental Analytical Chemistry and Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | | | - Azam Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Reza Saeedi
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Safety and Environment, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jorg Spitz
- Akademie für Menschliche Medizin GmbH, Krauskopfallee 27, 65388, Schlangenbad, Germany
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