Should the Radon Levels in Saudi Arabia’s Drinking Water Sources Be Monitored?

Abstract

This study examined existing literature with respect to the levels of Radon present in the wells of six major cities of Saudi Arabia. Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that can carry dangerous levels of radioactivity to those that are exposed to it, so ensuring that the exposure of the people of Saudi Arabia to it is controlled and limited. The results of this study were that most areas – five of the six cities included in this study – reported very low levels of Radon in their drinking water. However, the city of Mecca was found to be a rather extreme outlier in this respect – having much higher levels of Radon within its wells than was found in any other part of the nation. Ranges of (5±0.05) or less Bq/l was found in the other cities, whereas Mecca recorded levels of (40±0.05) Bq/l. As a result this study recommends that more work be done to identify the specific source of this Radon and to eliminate it from the drinking water used by the people of Mecca.