by Jeong Ilwoong
Published 05 Apr.2022 14:36(KST)
[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Daejeon City Health and Environment Research Institute announced on the 5th that it will conduct a full survey of radon (a natural radioactive substance) at local mineral springs and civil defense emergency water supply facilities starting this month.
The full survey is being conducted in consideration of the recent detection of radioactive substances such as radon and uranium in some groundwater, which has increased public anxiety about drinking water.
The survey targets 35 public drinking water facilities and 94 emergency water supply facilities. The Daejeon Health and Environment Research Institute plans to investigate whether radon and uranium are detected at the target facilities, and intends to expand the existing quarterly inspection of 6 items to all 46 items of the drinking water quality standards.
In addition, for facilities exceeding water quality monitoring standards based on the full survey results, additional inspections will be conducted in the third quarter, and the results will be immediately notified to the relevant autonomous districts. If found non-compliant, drinking will be prohibited and a notice will be posted simultaneously.
Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer and other diseases when exposed to high concentrations over a long period. It is mainly known to have high content in granite and granitic gneiss geological formations.
Nam Seung-woo, director of the Daejeon Health and Environment Research Institute, said, “We will continuously monitor radioactive substances such as radon to alleviate public anxiety about drinking water and strive to ensure safe drinking water.”
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