Radon - occurrence and impact on the health.

Radon is noble, monatomic, radioactive, heavier than the air gas. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless. It exists in natural environment as a result of the decay of radium, and emits mainly alpha radiation and less beta radiation.

The assessment of the ionizing radiation dose received by patients during some diagnostic X-ray examinations carried out on the basis of the working procedures in the health care entities.

Background: X-ray examination is a popular and universally used injury and disease diagnostic method. A distinctive X ray examination feature is that it can be done quickly which is extremely important in case of the need for rapid diagnosis of patients in life threatening condition. Another advantage of the X-ray examinations is also relatively low cost of carry.

[Natural radioactivity of potassium 40K in curative and natural mineral waters and dose estimation].

Natural mineral and curative waters often characterize elevated level of mineral components. If the mineralization grows, the concentration natural radionuclides, which are one population's exposure sources on ionizing radiation, also grows. The main purposes work were: (1) determine the concentration isotope potassium 40K in samples of water, (2) calculate effective doses caused by intake of water with potassium 40K, (3)- explore correlation between potassium 40K concentration and total dissolved solids (TDS).

[Occurrence of radon 222Rn in curative waters].

Radon is one of the best known human carcinogens. Natural radon (222Rn) is formed by decay of uranium (238U), directly of radium (226Ra). The aim of this study was to determine the activity concentration of radon in curative waters in Poland.

[Assessment of mammographic units in Poland in the view of current requirements of radiation protection regulations].

The aim of mammography examination is to discover as soon as possible any structural changes in a breast tissue. Every X-ray examination exposure the patient to the radiation as it takes place in mamnography images might be a cause of cancer. In this publication the dynamics growth of mammnography units number in Poland in years 1995,1997 and 2002 has been analyzed.

[Radon-222 in drinking water of Karkonoskie Plateau].

Radon-222 concentration in surface water, wells water and tap water in the main towns and villages which are located in area of Karkonoskie Plateau has been quantitative determined. The measurements were performed using the alpha liquid scintillation counting method. Majority of waterworks in Karkonoskie Plateau is supplied with the ground water in which the radon concentration is high from 87.

[Radon 222Rn in drinking water of Izera Plateau].

Radon-222 concentration in surface water, wells water and tap water in the main towns and villages which are located in area of Izera Plateau has been quantitative determined. The measurements were performed using the alpha liquid scintillation counting method. The main waterworks in Szklarska Poreba is supplied with the surface water in which the radon concentration is low: from 1.