What are the standards for radium in drinking water?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for combined radium 226 and 228 and for gross alpha radiation in drinking water. The MCL is a maximum permissible level of a contaminant that ensures the safety of the water over a lifetime of consumption and also takes into consideration feasible treatment technologies and monitoring capabilities. The MCL for combined radium 226 and 228 is 5 pCi/L. The MCL for gross alpha is 15 pCi/L. Specific drinking water standards have not been established for radium 224 and other alpha emitters. What are the health risks from radium ingestion? Radium like other elements if the earths crust naturally enters the body through drinking water and food. In the body, radium acts much like calcium. When swallowed, a small amount of radium will leave the body naturally in feces or urine. Studies of workers who ingested high levels of radium from occupational activities have shown it to cause bone cancer. For radium
