Why is it important to Monitor for Radionuclides?
Completely avoiding radioactivity is impossible. Radionuclides are found in air, water, soil, and even living things. People are exposed to background levels of radiation all the time. Radionuclides generally enter drinking water through erosion or chemical weathering of naturally occurring mineral deposits, although human activity (such as mining, industrial activities, or military activities that use or produce man-made radioactive materials) can also contribute to their presence in water. Evidence suggests that long-term exposure to radionuclides in drinking water may cause cancer. In addition, long-term exposure to uranium has toxic effects as a heavy metal as much as its effect as a radionuclide. EPA recently created “RadTown USA”, a new Web site that uses an animated town to provide basic information on radiation in the environment. “RadTown USA”; is a virtual community showing the wide variety of radiation sources commonly encountered in everyday life. Discover “RadTown USA” at
