Assessment of Radon Concentration in some Selected Water Sources at Kiyawa Town, Kiyawa, Jigawa State, Nigeria

In this study, an assessment of Radon concentration in some selected water sources from Kiyawa town, Kiyawa local Government area, Jigawa state, Nigeria was conducted. The results obtained show that the concentrations of Radon in the water samples ranged from 32.152 to 43.891 Bq/L, with mean values of 37.78 Bq/L and 35.13 Bq/L for well and borehole water respectively. These results were compared with the world average Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 10 Bq/L set by the World Health Organization (WHO), and it was observed that 60% of the recorded Radon concentrations, alongside the mean values for both water types, exceeded the WHO's recommended MCL of 10 Bq/L, as well as the MCL of 11.1 Bq/L set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 1991. However, all mean values were below the recommended action level of 100 Bq/L set by the European Commission (2001/928/Euratom) for public water supplies, and WHO in 2008. Also, all the mean values of the annual effective doses exceeded the recommended level of 0.1 mSv/year set by the WHO. Consequently, it is recommended that the inhabitants of Kiyawa town boil their water, regardless of its source, before drinking to reduce Radon concentrations in the water.