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Page 8: Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality: Guideline Technical Document – Radiological Parameters

Appendix A: Calculated Concentrations for selected radionuclides

(based on adults consuming 2 L of water per day; see Section 9.0 for calculations) Note: Radionuclides in bold represent those most commonly detected in Canadian drinking water supplies

Calculated Concentrations for selected Natural and Artificial radionuclides
Radionuclide Symbol Decay mode Half-life Adult dose coefficient (Sv/Bq) Calculated concentration (Bq/L)
Natural radionuclides
Beryllium-7 7Be Electron capture 53.3 days 2.8 × 10−11 5000
Bismuth-210 210Bi Beta 5.01 days 1.3 × 10−9 100
Lead-210 210Pb Beta and gamma 22.3 years 6.9 × 10−7 0.2
Polonium-210 210Po Alpha 138 days 1.2 × 10−6 0.1
Radium-224 224Ra Alpha 3.66 days 6.5 × 10−8 2
Radium-226 226Ra Alpha 1600 years 2.8 × 10−7 0.5
Radium-228 228Ra Beta 5.76 years 6.9 × 10−7 0.2
Thorium-228 228Th Alpha 1.91 years 7.2 × 10-8 2
Thorium-230 230Th Alpha 75 400 years 2.1 × 10−7 0.6
Thorium-232 232Th Alpha 14 billion years 2.3 × 10−7 0.6
Thorium-234 234Th Beta 24.1 days 3.4 × 10−9 40
Uranium-234Table b Footnote 1 234U Alpha 245 000 years 4.9 × 10-8 3
Uranium-235Table b Footnote 1 235U Alpha 704 million years 4.7 × 10−8 3
Uranium-238Table b Footnote 1 238U Alpha 4.47 billion years 4.5 × 10−8 3
Artificial radionuclides
Americium-241 241Am Alpha 432 years 2.0 × 10−7 0.7
Antimony-122 122Sb Beta 2.71 days 1.7 × 10−9 70
Antimony-124 124Sb Beta 60.2 days 2.5 × 10−9 50
Antimony-125 125Sb Beta 2.76 years 1.1 × 10−9 100
Barium-140 140Ba Beta 12.8 days 2.6 × 10−9 50
Bromine-82 82Br Beta 35.3 hours 5.4 × 10−10 300
Calcium-45 45Ca Beta 165 days 7.1 × 10-10 200
Calcium-47 47Ca Beta 4.54 days 1.6 × 10-9 100
Carbon-14Table b Footnote 2 14C Beta 5730 years 5.8 × 10-10 200
Cerium-141 141Ce Beta 32.5 days 7.1 × 10-10 200
Cerium-144 144Ce Beta 284 days 5.2 × 10−9 30
Cesium-131 131Cs Electron capture 9.69 days 5.8 × 10−11 2000
Cesium-134 134Cs Electron capture / beta 2.07 years 1.9 × 10−8 7
Cesium-136 136Cs Beta 13.1 years 3.0 × 10−9 50
Cesium-137 137Cs Beta 30.2 years 1.3 × 10−8 10
Chromium-51 51Cr Electron capture 27.7 days 3.8 × 10−11 4000
Cobalt-57 57Co Electron capture 272 days 2.1 × 10−10 700
Cobalt-58 58Co Electron capture 70.9 days 7.4 × 10−10 200
Cobalt-60 60Co Beta 5.27 years 3.4 × 10-9 40
Gallium-67 67Ga Electron capture 78.3 hours 1.9 × 10-10 700
Gold-198 198Au Beta 2.69 days 1.0 × 10-9 100
Indium-111 111In Electron capture 2.81 days 2.9 × 10-10 500
Iodine-125 125I Electron capture 59.9 days 1.5 × 10−8 10
Iodine-129 129I Beta 16.0 million years 1.1 × 10-7 1
Iodine-131 131I Beta 8.04 days 2.2 × 10-8 6
Iron-55 55Fe Electron capture 2.68 years 3.3 × 10−10 400
Iron-59 59Fe Beta 44.5 days 1.8 × 10-9 70
Manganese-54 54Mn Electron capture 312 days 7.1 × 10−10 200
Mercury-197, methyl 197Hg Electron capture 64.1 hours 9.9 × 10-11 1000
Mercury-197, organic 197Hg Electron capture 64.1 hours 1.7 × 10-11 700
Mercury-197, inorganic 197Hg Electron capture 64.1 hours 2.3 × 10-10 600
Mercury-203, methyl 203Hg Beta 46.6 days 1.9 × 10-9 70
Mercury-203, organic 203Hg Beta 46.6 days 1.1 × 10-9 100
Mercury-203, inorganic 203Hg Beta 46.6 days 5.4 × 10-10 300
Molybdenum-99 99Mo Beta 65.9 hours 6.0 × 10-10 200
Neptunium-239 239Np Beta 2.35 days 8.0 × 10-10 200
Niobium-95 95Nb Beta 35.0 days 5.8 × 10−10 200
Phosphorus-32 32P Beta 14.3 days 2.4 × 10-9 60
Plutonium-238 238Pu Alpha 87.7 years 2.3 × 10-7 0.6
Plutonium-239 239Pu Alpha 24 100 years 2.5 × 10−7 0.6
Plutonium-240 240Pu Alpha 6560 years 2.5 × 10-7 0.6
Plutonium-241 241Pu Beta 14.4 years 4.8 × 10-9 30
Rhodium-105 105Rh Beta; 35.4 hours 3.7 × 10-10 400
Rubidium-81 81Rb Electron capture 4.58 hours 5.4 × 10-11 3000
Rubidium-86 86Rb Beta 18.6 days 2.8 × 10−9 50
Ruthenium-103 103Ru Beta 39.2 days 7.3 × 10−10 200
Ruthenium-106 106Ru Beta 373 days 7.0 × 10−9 20
Selenium-75 75Se Electron capture 120 days 2.6 × 10−9 50
Silver-108m 108mAg Electron capture / isomeric transition 127 years 2.3 × 10−9 60
Silver-110m 110mAg Beta / isomeric transition 250 days 2.8 × 10-9 50
Silver-111 111Ag Beta 7.47 days 1.3 × 10−9 100
Sodium-22 22Na Electron capture 2.61 years 3.2 × 10−9 40
Strontium-85 85Sr Electron capture 64.8 days 5.6 × 10−10 200
Strontium-89 89Sr Beta 50.5 days 2.6 × 10−9 50
Strontium-90 90Sr Beta 29 years 2.8 × 10−8 5
Sulphur-35, organic 35S Beta 87.2 days 7.7 × 10−10 200
Sulphur-35, inorganic 35S Beta 87.2 days 1.3 × 10−10 1000
Technetium-99 99Tc Beta 213 000 years 6.4 × 10−10 200
Technetium-99m 99mTc Isomeric transition / beta 6.01 hours 2.2 × 10−11 6000
Tellurium-129m 129mTe Isomeric transition / beta 33.4 days 3.0 × 10−9 50
Tellurium-131m 131mTe Beta / isomeric transition 32.4 hours 1.9 × 10−9 70
Tellurium-132 132Te Beta 78.2 hours 3.8 × 10−9 40
Thallium-201 201Ti Electron capture 3.04 days 9.5 × 10−11 1000
Tritium, HTOTable b Footnote 3 3H Beta 12.3 years 1.8 × 10−11 7000
Tritium, OBTTable b Footnote 3 3H Beta 12.3 years 4.2 × 10-11 3000
Ytterbium-169 169Yb Electron capture 32.0 days 7.1 × 10−10 200
Yttrium-90 90Y Beta 64 hours 2.7 × 10−9 50
Yttrium-91 91Y Beta 58.5 days 2.4 × 10−9 60
Zinc-65 65Zn Electron capture 244 days 3.9 × 10−9 40
Zirconium-95 95Zr Beta 64.0 days 9.5 × 10−10 100

Table b Footnotes

Table b Footnote 1

The activity concentration of natural uranium corresponding to the chemical guideline (MAC) of 0.02 mg/L is about 0.5 Bq/L.

Return to Table b footnote 1 referrer

Table b Footnote 2

14C is also produced naturally in the atmosphere in significant quantities.

Return to Table b footnote 2 referrer

Table b Footnote 3

Tritium is also produced naturally in the atmosphere in significant quantities. HTO = tritiated water; OBT = organically bound tritium.

Return to Table b footnote 3 referrer

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