Table S1. Summary of groundwater concentrations from which natural background scenarios were constructed. Radium-226 (Bq/l) Radium-228 (Bq/l) Country Upper Lower Mean Algeria 0.1489 0.0139 Australia 0.2070 0.0030 Australia 0.9600 0.0100 0.0700 Austria 4.9000 0.0400 0.0000 Brazil 0.4920 0.0020 Croatia 6.2000 0.0900 Egypt 0.0400 0.0080 Egypt 11.1000 2.3000 4.8000 Egypt 5.1000 1.6000 3.4000 Upper Lower 0.0529 0.0072 2.8000 0.0100 Potassium-40 (Bq/l) Mean 0.1400 Upper Lower 0.0022 0.0001 0.8900 0.0600 Sample size Mean Source Seghour, 2009 0.2700 14 Lamontagne, 2008 110 Kleinshmidt, 2011 Dragovic, 2012 1.5000 0.0100 Almeida, 2004 1.3200 Dragovic, 2012 5.9200 0.0148 0.3440 0.0250 50 Khalil et al., 2009 Dragovic, 2012 Dragovic, 2012 Estonia 0.6600 0.4400 Forte, 2010 Estonia 0.7000 0.5900 Forte, 2010 Finland 1.0000 0.0100 0.0410 0.3000 Finland 49.0000 0.0100 0.0000 Dragovic, 2012 France 2.3000 0.6000 1.2000 Dragovic, 2012 France 2.2870 0.5880 1.1583 Hungary 1.1000 0.3200 0.7600 Jordan 6.8000 3.8000 5.0000 Morocco 0.0250 0.0010 0.0098 0.0173 0.0006 0.0050 Morocco 3.6960 0.0091 0.6510 0.6200 0.0024 0.0915 Morocco 0.0053 0.0008 0.0021 0.0029 0.0008 0.0019 Morocco 0.0105 0.0025 0.0073 0.0033 0.0007 0.0022 Morocco 0.0230 0.0008 0.0082 0.0110 0.0006 0.0041 Nigeria 26.7000 0.6000 7.2000 Poland 0.8080 0.0130 0.1840 0.0300 Poland 0.9200 0.0070 0.4000 0.0040 Poland 0.0500 0.0148 Poland 0.1400 0.0040 1.5900 0.0300 0.2600 0.0340 0.8545 176 6 Vesterbacker, 2006 Rihs, 2001 Dragovic, 2012 Dragovic, 2012 15 Hakam, 2001 Hakam, 2001 8 Hakam, 2001 Hakam, 2001 3 Hakam, 2001 Dragovic, 2012 Walencik et al, 2009 55 Przylibski et al. 2002 Grabowski, 2010 0.0456 0.1710 0.0120 0.0620 10 Nguyen, 2012 Table S1. Cont.... Radium-226 (bq/l) Country Radium-228 (bq/l) Potassium-40 (bq/l) Upper Lower Mean Upper Lower Mean Poland 0.0485 0.0070 0.1610 0.0736 0.0150 0.2040 21 Nguyen, 2012 Poland 0.7580 0.0140 0.1840 0.8770 0.0150 0.1830 6 Nguyen, 2012 0.3360 28 Nguyen, 2012 9 Poland 0.6380 0.2430 0.3690 0.6160 2.1700 0.1900 Upper Lower Sample size Mean 0.0300 Source Poland Romania 85.0000 0.1900 1.8000 0.0600 0.6700 Kozlowska 2010 Dragovic, 2012 Serbia 14.8000 0.1200 0.3600 Dragovic, 2012 Serbia 17.0000 0.1800 0.5700 Dragovic, 2012 Serbia 2.2800 0.0900 0.8300 Dragovic, 2012 Serbia 17.0000 0.1800 2.1000 Dragovic, 2012 Slovenia 0.0430 0.0080 0.0250 Dragovic, 2012 17 Spain 0.2670 0.0007 0.0211 Spain 3.7000 0.0040 0.0000 Dragovic, 2012 Sweden 4.9000 0.1200 0.2700 Dragovic, 2012 Tunisia 3.9000 0.0300 0.8000 Dragovic, 2012 Turkey 5.6000 0.6000 2.8000 Dragovic, 2012 UK 0.0024 Plater, 1995 UK 0.0021 Plater, 1995 UK 0.0026 Plater, 1995 UK 0.0025 Plater, 1995 Plater, 1995 UK 0.0087 0.0007 0.0040 UK 0.0500 0.0020 0.0030 Plater, 1995 0.1900 UK USA 0.0006 0.0006 USA 0.0028 0.0034 USA 0.0008 USA 0.0009 0.0012 USA 0.0020 0.0020 USA 0.0132 0.0003 0.0050 Manjon, 1996 0.0260 0.0589 35 Defra, 1995-2001 21 Moore, 1983 Moore, 1983 Moore, 1983 Moore, 1983 25 Michael et al. 2011 Kitto 2004 Table S1. Cont .... Radium-226 (bq/l) Country USA USA Upper Lower 0.4440 0.0007 0.6438 0.0185 USA 16.9000 USA 1.1211 0.0370 USA 1.5170 0.0037 USA 3.6260 Radium-228 (bq/l) Mean 0.0851 1.6000 Potassium-40 (bq/l) Upper Lower 0.6660 0.0011 78 King 1982 0.0185 0.0814 88 USGS 2005 2.1000 99 USGS 1998 0.4736 2.6800 Mean Upper Lower Sample size Mean Source USGS factsheet, 1998 5.9200 0.0370 USGS 1995 0.0007 256 USGS 2000 Grundl USA 0.3589 0.0370 0.1374 0.5254 0.0000 0.1784 34 USA 0.3486 0.0014 0.0369 0.2341 0.0020 0.0264 52 Vinson 2008 USA 0.1049 0.0009 0.0111 0.1027 0.0000 0.0129 24 Vinson 2008 0.0108 34 Vinson 2008 USA 0.0833 0.0007 0.0083 0.0963 0.0000 Table SI References Almeida, R., D.C., L., A.C., F., & Sracek, O. (2004). Groundwater radon, radium and uranium concentrations in Regia˜o dos Lagos, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 323–334. Dragovic et al. (2012). 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