Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Radium, combined (-226 and -228)

Beauregard Water Works District #3

Radium is a radioactive element that causes bone cancer and other cancers. It can occur naturally in groundwater, and oil and gas extraction activities such as hydraulic fracturing can elevate concentrations. Read More.

Radium releases radioactive particles that harm health in many ways, causing tumors in bone, lungs and other organs; leukemia; and skin and blood damage. Water utilities typically report radium amounts in picocuries per liter (pCi/L), which is a measure of radioactivity in water. The two most common forms of radium are radium-226 and radium-228. They may be reported separately or together.

Federal law allows up to 5 picocuries per liter of combined radium-226 and radium-228 in tap water. Research by the U.S. Geological Survey shows that in some regions of the country, such as the mid-continental region and North Atlantic coastal region, more than 20 percent of sampled wells have radium in levels exceeding the federal drinking water limit. And the legal limit does not equate safety: The EPA estimates that one in every 10,000 people drinking water containing radium at this level would develop cancer over a lifetime.

California set a public health goal much lower than the federal limit – 0.05 picocuries per liter of radium-226 and 0.019 picocuries per liter of radium-228, concentrations that are lower than the detection limit for most water tests.

Click here to read more on radiological contaminants.

 

90

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

12

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.13 pCi/L254ND - 1.20 pCi/L
2019N/A00N/A
2020N/A00N/A
20210.06 pCi/L324ND - 0.86 pCi/L
2022N/A00N/A
20230.07 pCi/L334ND - 0.70 pCi/L

pCi/L = picocuries per liter

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.05 pCi/L

EWG applied the health guideline of 0.05 pCi/L, defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal for radium-226, to radium-226 and radium-228 combined. This health guideline protects against cancer.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 5 pCi/L

The legal limit for combined radium-226 and radium-228, established in 1976, was based on costs for radium removal, as calculated at the time that the standard was set. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to radium exposure.

pCi/L = picocuries per liter

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-272205-01745-001ND
2018-02-2735377534001ND
2018-02-2735377534001ND
2018-03-192309-03218-001ND
2018-03-192121614-01ND
2018-03-19353813490010.45 pCi/L
2018-03-1935381349002ND
2018-03-1935381349003ND
2018-03-19353813490041.20 pCi/L
2018-03-1935381349005ND
2018-03-1935381349005ND
2018-03-19353813490041.20 pCi/L
2018-03-1935381349003ND
2018-03-1935381349002ND
2018-03-19353813490010.45 pCi/L
2018-04-1635387317002ND
2018-04-1635387317004ND
2018-04-1635387317004ND
2018-04-1635387317003ND
2018-04-1635387317001ND
2018-04-1635387317005ND
2018-04-1635387317005ND
2018-04-1635387317001ND
2018-04-1635387317002ND
2018-04-1635387317003ND
2021-02-022021129-WHITING ST FILTER PLANND
2021-02-0220211222-FINISHED: CHESTNUT STND
2021-02-022021119-WELL 2 RAW WATERND
2021-02-022021119-GAC CONTACTORND
2021-02-0220211129-WELL # 2ND
2021-02-0220211117-WELL #3 & WELL #4ND
2021-02-0220211027-WELL # 1 & WELL # 2-ND
2021-02-022021126-SAM BROOKS HOMEND
2021-02-0235609370001ND
2021-02-0235609370002ND
2021-02-0235609370003ND
2021-02-0235609370004ND
2021-03-162021126-WELL #8 RAW WATERND
2021-03-16356199510010.19 pCi/L
2021-03-1635619951002ND
2021-03-1635619951003ND
2021-03-1635619951004ND
2021-03-1635619951005ND
2021-03-1620211026-WELL #1ND
2021-03-162021105-WATER FILTRATION PLANTND
2021-03-162021106-LAKE COCHICHEWICK - WTND
2021-03-1620211116-C. ZARBA- 1600 GEN. END
2021-03-1620211116-PORTER WELL RAWND
2021-03-162021112-WEST ST. WTP - FINISHEND
2021-03-1620211123-272 DEAN STREETND
2021-03-1620211210-GP: PFAS AIX 25% LEAD0.10 pCi/L
2021-04-27356294220010.86 pCi/L
2021-04-2720211012-BUNYAN ROAD WELLS POIND
2021-04-2735629422002ND
2021-04-2720211013-MAIN ST. WTF FINISHED0.86 pCi/L
2021-04-2720211110-FINISHED: WASHINGTONND
2021-04-272021126-WELL #8 RAW WATERND
2023-07-242023411-WELL # 1ND
2023-07-242023412-TISPAQUIN GP WELL # 2ND
2023-07-242023413-PUMPHOUSE (WELLS #1, #ND
2023-07-242023418-ENTRY POINT TAP (AFTERND
2023-07-242023511-COLLEGE HIGHWAY PUMPINND
2023-07-24202352-ROCKLAND AVE. WTP: TREAND
2023-07-24202354-FAY MT TANK - 1ST WEEKND
2023-07-242023613-BOTANY WELL #1ND
2023-07-2435815844005ND
2023-07-2435815844004ND
2023-07-2435815844003ND
2023-07-2435815844002ND
2023-07-2435815844001ND
2023-07-242023627-GP WELL # 4ND
2023-07-24202366-RAW WATER: WELL #2 JERSND
2023-08-07202344-LAKE NIP WELL #: 2,1A,1ND
2023-08-072023419-WATER FILTRATION PLANTND
2023-08-072023626-PROSPECT STREETND
2023-08-072023418-FINISHED: LOWELL & DUDND
2023-08-07202345-TREATED: MILLBURY AVENU0.42 pCi/L
2023-08-072023518-80 RIVER ST0.70 pCi/L
2023-08-072023518-LEXINGTON, WESTVIEW CEND
2023-08-072023519-SAMPLE STN - COPPAGE DND
2023-08-0735819580001ND
2023-08-072023412-SPRINGVALE WELL #3A-RAND
2023-08-072023411-WELL #2 POST TREATMENTND
2023-08-072023411-RAW WATER: OTTER RIVERND
2023-08-072023410-PUMPHOUSE AFTER TANK (ND
2023-08-0735819580006ND
2023-08-0735819580005ND
2023-08-0735819580004ND
2023-08-07358195800030.42 pCi/L
2023-08-07358195800020.70 pCi/L