2020 Volume 9 Issue 2 Pages 79-83
Mamuju is an area of Indonesia with high radiation exposure compared to the average across the country. It is included in the high background radiation area (HBRA) category. Radium-226 (226Ra) is one of the natural radionuclides that, if contained in drinking water, can be harmful to human health. Mamujuʼs residents generally use well water for their daily needs. Radium-226 is easily soluble in water and emits alpha particles. Therefore, measurement of 226Ra in drinking water is necessary to protect the public from radiation. A total of 13 drinking water samples were obtained from the HBRA in Mamuju. They had a concentration range of 14–238 mBq L－1. These concentrations are below the World Health Organization recommendation, which is 1 Bq L－1, with an annual effective dose (mSv y－1) from the ingestion of 226Ra in water ranging between 3–49 µSv.
