Determination of radon concentration in drinking water of Bam villages and evaluation of the annual effective dose

Background: Radon is one of the most important radioactive elements which is released by natural decay of available uranium and radium in the ground. The presence of radon gas is common, wherever those faults are located there. Radon concentration of various drinking water resources of Bam villages; located near Bam fault; was measured. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the spring of 2014. Samples were collected from 27 water resources (wells and canals) as well as 5 water storage tanks of Bam villages of Kerman province. The radon concentrations were determined by RAD7 device. The annual absorbed dose was also calculated according to the measured radon levels. Results: The average of minimum radon concentration in water resources was 1.2 BqL-1; which was related to a water tank in Baravat; and the average of its maximum amount was calculated as 9.88 BqL-1 which was related to a private home well in Baghchamak village. The maximum annual effective dose for adults was 30.82 μSvY-1and the lowest was calculated as 3.74 μSvY-1. Conclusion: Based on the achieved results, radon concentration of drinking water resources is lower than permitted concentration of EPA and also WHO guidelines.