Natural radioactivity and dose estimation in underground water from the Sudety Mountains in Poland.

Studies of natural radioactivity in spring water in Swieradów-Czerniawa Health Resort were performed with the use of nuclear and mass spectrometry techniques. The investigated region is situated in the Sudety Mountains, where uranium exploration was conducted in the early 1950s of the last century. Annual effective doses due to radionuclide intake were calculated for 4 out of 20 spring waters used for consumption by spa patients and inhabitants. The summed effective doses without 222Rn were of the range 0.4 microSv to 9.2 microSv, for patient for of a 20-day duration stay and from 1.3 microSv y(-1) to 26.7 microSv y(-1) for an inhabitant. The contribution of radon consumed with water raises these values to 209.4 microSv per 20 days and 608.3 microSv y(-1) for a patient and inhabitant, respectively.