Title: ²¹⁰Po concentration in urine of residents in a high level background radiation area in Iran

Authors: H. Samavat, M.R.D. Seaward

Addresses: Department of Medical Physics, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. ' Department of Environmental Science, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK

Abstract: As part of an epidemiological survey to determine public exposure to natural radiation and to estimate radionuclide levels in the diet of residents in a high level background radiation area at Ramsar in Iran, ²¹⁰Po concentrations were determined in 24-hour urine samples by means of a liquid scintillation counting technique. The maximum and minimum mean concentrations of ²¹⁰Po in 100 ml of urine were 2.61 (±0.09 SE) and 1.52 (±0.08 SE) mBq, respectively, with an overall mean of 2.00 (±0.86 SE) mBq in 45 samples; the mean ²¹⁰Po concentration in 100 ml of 20 control samples from local residents in areas where background radiation has been determined as normal was 0.86 (±0.03 SE) mBq. We conclude that the urinary ²¹⁰Po concentration in residents is elevated in proportion to the background levels, but so far there is no evidence of health problems.

Keywords: ²¹⁰Po; urine; background radiation; radioactivity; Ramsar; Iran; radionuclide levels; diet; Iran; public radiation exposure.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2004.005426

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2004 Vol.1 No.3, pp.279 - 284

Published online: 01 Oct 2004 *

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