Radiological quality of packaged natural spring waters sold in Türkiye and radiological health risk assessment

Abstract

The quality of drinking water is related to the physical, chemical, microbial, and radiological aspects of the water. It is of great importance for human health and plays an important role in tap and packaged water preferences. Groundwater obtained from aquifers by drilling wells constitutes the main source of packaged natural spring water (PNSW) consumed in Türkiye. The radiological quality of these waters is determined by the concentration of natural radionuclides dissolved in water from the aquifer rocks. This study presents the first detailed radiological data on PNSW brands commercially sold in Türkiye. The activity concentrations of 228Ra, 226Ra, and 40K in eighty-two PNSW brands were measured by gamma-ray spectroscopy. Radiological risk caused by the intake of these radionuclides in PNSW samples was assessed for adults by estimating the annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk. The activity concentrations of 228Ra are above the guidance level (GL) of 0.1 Bq/L recommended by the World Health Organization of the United Nations (WHO), while the activity concentrations of 226Ra are below the GL of 1 Bq/L. However, risk assessment estimations for radium isotope ingestion reveal that the annual consumption of 130 L/y of PNSW water does not pose a risk for radiological human health.