NATURAL RADIONUCLIDES IN MINERAL WATERS SOLD IN UPPER SILESIA, POLAND: THEIR MEASUREMENT, DOSES, AND COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS

ABSTRACT. Consumption of mineral waters is steadily rising in Poland. In order to investigate their content of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), a variety of different brands were bought in supermarkets in Katowice, Upper Sile-sia, and analyzed. The following methods were used for preparation and measurements: a) chemical separation and liquid scintillation spectrometry (LSC) measurement of both 226Ra and 228Ra; b) direct LSC measurement of 226Ra via extraction of 222Rn in equilibrium; c) simultaneous LSC measurement of 226Ra, 228Ra, and 210Pb after separation using Rad Disks (3M Empore); d) LS spectrometric measurement of 210Po after chemical separation; and f) chemical separation and alpha spec-trometry for uranium isotopes. These methods will be described and the results compared. Doses originating from consump-tion of these mineral waters will be discussed