Researchers from Duke University in the United States have found that ancient underground wells in water-deprived Jordan have 20 times more radiation than is considered safe for drinking. Their study [1] showed that water from an underground source in Jordan contained high levels of a naturally occurring radioactive particle linked to some cancers, posing a health risk to thousands of people in central Jordan who drink it. People in Israel, Egypt, Libya and Saudi Arabia could also be exposed to high levels of radioactivity because these countries tap similar sources for drinking water and agriculture.

[1] Vengosh, A. … [et al.] (2009). High naturally occurring radioactivity in fossil groundwater from the Middle East. Environmental science & technology ; vol. 43, no. 6, p. 1769-1775. doi:10.1021/es802969r

Contact: Avner Vengosh, Duke University, USA, vengosh@duke.edu

Source: Nick Vinocur, Reuters Alert News, 25 Feb 2009

Tags: middle east & north africa, water quality, water-related diseases