2020/08/08 by O. Nusair, Nusair, O., W. Al-Tamimi +3
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Health Professions · #FOS: Physical sciences #Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry #Medical Physics (physics.med-ph) #Radioactivity and Radon Measurements
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2008.03434
openalex publication_date 2020/08/08 · openalex created_date 2020/08/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The quest for a better understanding of the cancer risk associated with drinking the radium-contaminated groundwater of the Disi Aquifer in Jordan has become more urgent in recent years. To quantitively identify the health consequences attainable from the consumption of this groundwater source, internal dosimetry analysis was performed with emphasis on doses deliverable to bone surfaces. Moreover, the age-dependent dose calculations performed in this study show that the most critical group is those who are below the age of 15, where we predict an increase in the risk of cancer by up to a factor of 5 as compared to adults. It is also demonstrated that radium radioactivity remains relatively constant in the bone even 10 years after ingestion. The whole-body dose analysis concluded that it is a factor of 5 higher than what the WHO recommends as a limit.