Natural radioactivity in drinking water in private wells in Finland

Natural radioactivity in drinking water was determined in population-based random study of 472 private wells. The mean concentrations of (222)Rn, (226)Ra, (234)U, (238)U, (210)Pb and (210)Po in drilled wells were 460, 0.05, 0.35, 0.26, 0.04 and 0.05 Bq l(-1), and in wells dug in the soil were 50, 0.016, 0.02, 0.015, 0.013 and 0.007 Bq l(-1), respectively. Approximately 10% of the drilled wells exceeded a radon concentration of 1000 Bq l(-1) and 18% a uranium concentration of 15 microg l(-1). The mean annual effective dose from natural radionuclides for a drilled well user was 0.4 mSv and 0.05 mSv for a user of a well dug in the soil. The effective dose arising from (222)Rn was 75% of the total of all natural radionuclides for drilled well users. As regards long-lived radionuclides, (210)Po and (210)Pb caused the largest portion of the effective dose. The dose arising from (238)U, (234)U and (226)Ra was only 8% of the total of all natural radionuclides.