Abstract
Various natural radionuclides exist naturally in the environment, but their distribution is uneven, when these radionuclides enter drinking water, they can enter the food chain and potentially increase radiation exposure for people1). Five springs, located along popular hiking routes and tourist destinations in Veszprém County were selected for investigation. The primary aim was to examine how different sample preparation parameters affect the measurement of Ra-226. During sample preparation, the study explored potential optimizations based on the BS ISO 13165-1:2013 standard. The samples were adjusted to various pH levels. After acidifying the samples, the effect of vaporization temperature (80˚C and 100˚C) was analysed. Additionally, by increasing the sample volumes (200, 300, 400, and 500ml), the impact of heat treatment duration on the concentration ratio (1:10) was assessed. Salt precipitation was observed during evaporation at 80˚C in samples with natural, 5, and 6 pH. At 100˚C, precipitation occurred even in samples with a pH of 4. ProScint Rn A/B scintillator cocktail and a TriCarb 3170 TR/SL Liquid Scintillation Counter were used, with a detection limit of 100 mBq/L. None of the samples exceeded the activity concentration of 200 mBq/L, indicating that their consumption does not pose a significant radiological risk.
