Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Radium, combined (-226 and -228)

Lafayette Utilities Water System

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.

 

178

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

72

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.56 pCi/L3619ND - 2.74 pCi/L
20190.70 pCi/L3220ND - 1.86 pCi/L
20200.19 pCi/L186ND - 0.93 pCi/L
20210.20 pCi/L418ND - 1.65 pCi/L
20220.14 pCi/L305ND - 1.52 pCi/L
20230.94 pCi/L2114ND - 3.25 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
2018-02-091.39 pCi/L
2018-02-09E200004750011.39 pCi/L
2018-03-0535378308001ND
2018-03-05353783080021.44 pCi/L
2018-03-0535378308003ND
2018-03-05353783080040.56 pCi/L
2018-03-05353783080050.84 pCi/L
2018-03-0535378308001ND
2018-03-05353783080021.44 pCi/L
2018-03-0535378308003ND
2018-03-05353783080040.56 pCi/L
2018-03-05353783080050.84 pCi/L
2018-03-0544472-3ND
2018-04-1735387626001ND
2018-04-1735387626002ND
2018-04-1735387626001ND
2018-04-1735387626002ND
2018-04-17E20000594016ND
2018-04-30353896270010.76 pCi/L
2018-04-30353896270010.76 pCi/L
2018-05-1435392629001ND
2018-05-1435392629001ND
2018-06-19353992820012.74 pCi/L
2018-06-1935399735001ND
2018-06-19353997350020.61 pCi/L
2018-06-19353997350030.75 pCi/L
2018-06-19353992820012.74 pCi/L
2018-06-1935399735001ND
2018-06-19353997350020.61 pCi/L
2018-06-19353997350030.75 pCi/L
2018-06-19446710.75 pCi/L
2018-06-1944671_AND
2018-09-0635416281002ND
2018-09-0635416281002ND
2018-11-13354312630060.65 pCi/L
2018-11-13354312630060.65 pCi/L
2019-01-1435442609001ND
2019-01-14354426090020.48 pCi/L
2019-01-1435442609001ND
2019-01-14354426090020.48 pCi/L
2019-01-14AE47998ND
2019-03-1235454250001ND
2019-03-1235454250001ND
2019-03-12AE50537ND
2019-05-28354716130011.41 pCi/L
2019-05-28354716130011.41 pCi/L
2019-05-280140006_102_080519_H0.68 pCi/L
2019-05-280140006_102_080519_T0.73 pCi/L
2019-08-12354894910011.12 pCi/L
2019-08-12354894910021.46 pCi/L
2019-08-12354894910031.46 pCi/L
2019-08-12354894910040.61 pCi/L
2019-08-1235489491005ND
2019-08-12354894910011.12 pCi/L
2019-08-12354894910021.46 pCi/L
2019-08-12354894910031.46 pCi/L
2019-08-12354894910040.61 pCi/L
2019-08-1235489491005ND
2019-08-123051561001ND
2019-08-1230528430010.87 pCi/L
2019-08-1230550350011.46 pCi/L
2019-08-127028-705-1-1&21.12 pCi/L
2019-08-12AQ11020BND
2019-08-27354937380011.86 pCi/L
2019-08-27354937380011.86 pCi/L
2019-08-272870.69 pCi/L
2019-11-1935514159001ND
2019-11-1935514159001ND
2020-02-2135533013001ND
2020-02-212021520-RESERVOIRS POINT OF ENND
2020-02-212021624-GP WELL # 2ND
2020-07-2035564847001ND
2020-07-20355648470020.52 pCi/L
2020-07-2035564847003ND
2020-07-20355648480010.23 pCi/L
2020-07-202021420-WELL 1 SOURCE SAMPLE (0.52 pCi/L
2020-07-202021422-WELL #2ND
2020-07-202021513-MID-POINT: POST AIX LA0.23 pCi/L
2020-07-202021518-GP MID-POINT: BETWEENND
2020-07-202021615-FINISHED: WELLS #2,3,5ND
2020-07-202021629-POINT OF ENTRY POST TRND
2020-07-20202164-RAW WATER: LANCASTER AVND
2020-07-20202168-WINTHROP ST. GP WELLND
2020-11-24355948410010.93 pCi/L
2020-11-242021512-WELL #4 GREAT ROAD WTP0.93 pCi/L
2020-11-242021615-RAW WATER: WELL #2ND
2021-02-0835610872001ND
2021-02-0835610872002ND
2021-02-0835610872003ND
2021-02-0835610872004ND
2021-02-0835610872005ND
2021-02-0835610875001ND
2021-02-0820211012-WELL #1ND
2021-02-0820211014-FINISHED: GROVE PONDND
2021-02-082021106-TOWN HALL TAPND
2021-02-082021107-RAW WATER-WELL #2 FRUIND
2021-02-0820211117-DEER ISLAND CENTRAL LND
2021-02-0820211117-ROSE L. MCDONALD SCHOND
2021-02-0820211117-WINTHROP TOWN HALL-1ND
2021-02-082021113-ANGELO'S SUPERMARKET FND
2021-02-082021121-COMBINED POINT OF ENTRND
2021-02-0820211216-FINISHED WATERND
2021-02-0820211228-POINT OF ENTRYND
2021-06-1435641440001ND
2021-06-1420211013-WELLS 1 & 2ND
2021-06-1420211021-70 ASHMONT STREETND
2021-06-2135642607001ND
2021-06-2135642607002ND
2021-06-21356426070031.65 pCi/L
2021-06-2135642607004ND
2021-06-21356426070051.25 pCi/L
2021-06-2120211013-FINISHED: CROSS STREE0.79 pCi/L
2021-06-2120211014-WELL #2 POINT OF ENTR0.46 pCi/L
2021-06-2120211025-WELL 4 AND 5ND
2021-06-2120211026-LOUT POND REPLACEMENT0.68 pCi/L
2021-06-2120211118-BEDROCK WELL#4ND
2021-06-212021113-RITA MILLER SCHOOLND
2021-06-212021119-POINT OF ENTRY POST TR0.97 pCi/L
2021-06-212021119-SPRING STREET POINT OFND
2021-06-2120211222-FINISHED: CHESTNUT STND
2021-06-2120211227-45 ORCHARD LN - 2ND WND
2021-09-02356633980021.18 pCi/L
2021-09-0220211118-TREATED WATER: WELL #1.18 pCi/L
2021-09-0220211217-WHITE LODGE WTP (6G,7ND
2021-12-0335683434001ND
2021-12-0320211116-MILLGATE RD. GP WELLND
2021-12-0320211122-CHESTNUT WTF POST TREND
2022-03-1435705911001ND
2022-03-142022719-FINISHED: WELL 6ND
2022-03-14202296-WALSH (COOLIDGE) WTP -ND
2022-04-27357172710021.52 pCi/L
2022-04-272022725-TREATED WATER: WELL #10.85 pCi/L
2022-04-272022819-MALDEN - 1 SPRAGUE STR0.67 pCi/L
2022-05-2335720206001ND
2022-05-2335720206002ND
2022-05-2335720206003ND
2022-05-2335720206004ND
2022-05-2335720206005ND
2022-05-2335720206006ND
2022-05-232022720-PATTON TRAIN C POST TRND
2022-05-232022721-NORTH ACTON WTP: AFTERND
2022-05-232022728-FINISHED: SUTTON TWF PND
2022-05-232022815-HIGH SCHOOL - 609 WEBSND
2022-05-232022815-HORN POND WTP - RAW WAND
2022-05-232022817-GUSHEE POND WELL 3ND
2022-05-232022817-OWEN WTPND
2022-05-232022819-WELLESLEY AVE. WTPND
2022-05-23202282-TOWN HALLND
2022-05-23202283-MID-POINT: SHABOKIN TRAND
2022-05-232022914-HOME FARM WTP: FINISHEND
2022-05-232022920-PLAIN ST FILTRATION PLND
2022-07-26357389250010.63 pCi/L
2022-07-26202275-NEW LAWRENCE WTP - FININD
2022-07-26202283-SHABOKIN TRAIN A POST T0.63 pCi/L
2022-10-2535756355002ND
2022-10-252022725-ELM ST. WATER TREATMENND
2022-10-25202298-GRAVELLY POND W.T.P.ND
2023-01-18357748570013.25 pCi/L
2023-01-182023424-REGIONAL FILTRATION PL1.44 pCi/L
2023-01-18202346-WELL # 11.81 pCi/L
2023-05-22358018910030.99 pCi/L
2023-05-2235801891004ND
2023-05-22358018910050.93 pCi/L
2023-05-22358018910062.86 pCi/L
2023-05-222023410-PUMPHOUSE AFTER TANK (ND
2023-05-222023412-WELL #1 SOURCE TAP1.88 pCi/L
2023-05-222023418-WATER POLLUTION CONTROND
2023-05-22202343-RAW WATER: WELL #1ND
2023-05-22202344-POINT OF ENTRY POST TRE0.93 pCi/L
2023-05-222023517-H&T VESSEL SAMPLE TAP0.99 pCi/L
2023-05-22202352-RAW WATER: ROCKLAND WEL0.98 pCi/L
2023-05-222023612-ELM ST. WATER TREATMENND
2023-08-10358212920010.77 pCi/L
2023-08-10202343-HUBBARD WELL #2 POINT O0.77 pCi/L
2023-08-10202352-HAPPY HOLLOW WELL #2R -ND
2023-10-18358360950011.09 pCi/L
2023-10-182023629-FINISHED: WELL #2ND
2023-10-18202366-RAW WATER: FOLLETTE ST.1.09 pCi/L