Estimation of Natural Radioactivity in Underground Water Sources for Personal Use in Zhytomyr City and Its Suburbs

Estimation of Natural Radioactivity in Underground Water Sources for Personal Use in Zhytomyr City and Its Suburbs | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Estimation of Natural Radioactivity in Underground Water Sources for Personal Use in Zhytomyr City and Its Suburbs Mykhailo Buzynnyi, Roman Prihod'ko, Liubov Mykhailova This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7408436/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 30 Oct, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 14 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The article reviews recent research and includes data analysis on natural radioactivity in 49 artesian drinking water samples from private sources in Zhytomyr city and its suburbs. The measurements aim to support the installation of modern water purification systems, especially for removing natural radionuclides. A liquid scintillation spectrometer and an HPG γ-spectrometer were used to measure the specific activity of radon, total uranium (∑U), 226 Ra, and 228 Ra isotopes. LSC-based methods were utilized for measuring 222 Rn and 226 Ra in a two-phase sample; U is extracted using a 20% solution of TBP in o-xylene to determine the ∑U activity concentration via the LSC technique. Recently developed methods have been applied to concentrate water samples using ion-exchange resins, thereby improving the detection limits for uranium (U) and radium (Ra) isotopes. These simple step methods rely on straightforward procedures and commonly available materials, including widely accessible ion-exchange resins. New data on natural radionuclide activity concentrations in water, accumulated over the past three years, include 228 Ra. We compared it with data from the previous three-year set of similar water sample studies and with data from studies conducted on a wide range of drinking water sources in the Zhytomyr region from 1990 to 2019. 222 Rn, 226 Ra, and ∑U data for the considered time intervals were found to be compatible and agreed with each other. The 226 Ra to 228 Ra ratio data varies mainly within the range of 0.5 to 3.5. Radiation doses were calculated as a lifetime average annual dose, taking into account age-dependent dose coefficients and corresponding weighting factors. When assessing potential radiation doses, focus is placed on radium isotopes, which contribute most to the radiation dose. The activity concentration of 228 Ra ranged from 3 to 500 mBq/L, corresponding to an irradiation dose of 2.7 to 452 µSv per year, which accounts for up to 96.2% (median – 65.6%) of the total irradiation dose from uranium and radium isotopes ingested through the consumption of potable water. Physical sciences/Chemistry Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences Physical sciences/Physics potable water 226Ra 228Ra ∑U 222Rn ion-exchange resins liquid scintillation counting (LSC) tri-layer LS sample HPG γ-spectrometer Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Suplementary.xlsx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 30 Oct, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 05 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Aug, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 26 Aug, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 26 Aug, 2025 Editor invited by journal 25 Aug, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 22 Aug, 2025 First submitted to journal 22 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7408436","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":506319713,"identity":"63f801dd-827c-4052-bf76-adbf650bf7c5","order_by":0,"name":"Mykhailo Buzynnyi","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABAElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACZgY2IGnBYAAkDwCxHEjwwAPCWiTgWozBWhLw24PQAgKJDSASnxbdduZnD35USDCYS6Q/PFy443D6/LDDD4G22MnpNmDXYnaYzdyw54wEg+WMhITDM88czt14O80AqCXZ2OwALi08bBK8bUCH3Ug4cJi3DahldgJIy4HEbXi0SP79B9KS2ADSkm44O/0DQS3SvA0gLckMIC0J8tI5hGxhM5OWOSbBY9nzDKQl3XCDdE7BgQQDPH45f/iZ5JsaGzlz9vTHn3nbrOXlZ6dv/vChwk4OlxYY4IHSzQwGYJUGuJWigzoG+QbiVY+CUTAKRsHIAABw6l9Xb+bybQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"State Institution “O.M. 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The measurements aim to support the installation of modern water purification systems, especially for removing natural radionuclides. A liquid scintillation spectrometer and an HPG γ-spectrometer were used to measure the specific activity of radon, total uranium (\u0026sum;U), \u003csup\u003e226\u003c/sup\u003eRa, and \u003csup\u003e228\u003c/sup\u003eRa isotopes. LSC-based methods were utilized for measuring \u003csup\u003e222\u003c/sup\u003eRn and \u003csup\u003e226\u003c/sup\u003eRa in a two-phase sample; U is extracted using a 20% solution of TBP in o-xylene to determine the \u0026sum;U activity concentration via the LSC technique. Recently developed methods have been applied to concentrate water samples using ion-exchange resins, thereby improving the detection limits for uranium (U) and radium (Ra) isotopes. These simple step methods rely on straightforward procedures and commonly available materials, including widely accessible ion-exchange resins.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNew data on natural radionuclide activity concentrations in water, accumulated over the past three years, include \u003csup\u003e228\u003c/sup\u003eRa. We compared it with data from the previous three-year set of similar water sample studies and with data from studies conducted on a wide range of drinking water sources in the Zhytomyr region from 1990 to 2019. \u003csup\u003e222\u003c/sup\u003eRn, \u003csup\u003e226\u003c/sup\u003eRa, and \u0026sum;U data for the considered time intervals were found to be compatible and agreed with each other. The \u003csup\u003e226\u003c/sup\u003eRa to \u003csup\u003e228\u003c/sup\u003eRa ratio data varies mainly within the range of 0.5 to 3.5.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRadiation doses were calculated as a lifetime average annual dose, taking into account age-dependent dose coefficients and corresponding weighting factors. When assessing potential radiation doses, focus is placed on radium isotopes, which contribute most to the radiation dose. The activity concentration of \u003csup\u003e228\u003c/sup\u003eRa ranged from 3 to 500 mBq/L, corresponding to an irradiation dose of 2.7 to 452 \u0026micro;Sv per year, which accounts for up to 96.2% (median \u0026ndash; 65.6%) of the total irradiation dose from uranium and radium isotopes ingested through the consumption of potable water.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Estimation of Natural Radioactivity in Underground Water Sources for Personal Use in Zhytomyr City and Its Suburbs","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-03 18:36:05","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7408436/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-09-05T07:01:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-04T17:07:22+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-04T06:57:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-04T06:34:06+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"25149230728853950762155710480809946057","date":"2025-08-27T06:22:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"327375094239879729417635516845819110661","date":"2025-08-26T18:17:37+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"19352021765810232800245076773939293236","date":"2025-08-26T18:12:34+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"178345351080339288596486362205210171066","date":"2025-08-26T17:52:06+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"159963844933963269405157700853092946482","date":"2025-08-26T17:51:44+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-08-26T17:45:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-08-26T08:28:38+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-08-26T03:13:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-08-22T13:36:34+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-08-22T13:33:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"559a69fb-988b-47e5-8488-a008943644e0","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 3rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":54154694,"name":"Physical sciences/Chemistry"},{"id":54154695,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences"},{"id":54154696,"name":"Physical sciences/Physics"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-03T16:03:35+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7408436","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-21813-w","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2025-10-30 15:58:38","publishedOnDateReadable":"October 30th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-03 18:36:05","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-025-21813-w","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-21813-w","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7408436","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7408436","identity":"rs-7408436","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}