Radionuclides, in drinking water

Aieta EM, Singley JE, Trussell AR, et al. 1987. Radionuclides in drinking water An overview. Am Water Works Assoc J 79 144-152. 

Cothern CR. 1987. Development of regulations for radionuclides in drinking water. In Graves B ed. Conference NWWA, April 7-19, Somerset, NJ. Michigan Lewis Publishers, 1-11. 

The average annual concentration of beta particle and photon radioactivity from man-made radionuclides in drinking water shall not produce an annual dose equivalent to the total body or any internal organ greater than 4 millirem/yr. Tritium must be less than 20,000 pCi L-1, and strontium must be less than 8 pCi L-1. 

Cothern CR. 1987. Development of regulations for radionuclides in drinking water. In Graves B, ed. Radon in ground water, radon, radium and other radioactivity in ground water Hydrogeologic impact and application to indoor airborne contamination. Proc National Water Well Association conference, Somerset, NJ, April 7-9, 1987. Chelsea, MI Lewis Publishers, Inc. 1-11. 

EPA. 1991. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Radionuclides in drinking water fact sheet. National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Radionuclides, Proposed Rule, June, 1991. EPA-570/9-91-700. Washington, DC. 

Environmental Protection Agency. 1991. National primary drinking water standards for radionuclides, proposed rule, June, 1991. EPA Fact Sheet, Radionuclides in Drinking Water, 570/9-91-700. 

EPA has established Maximum Contaminant Levels that limit the concentration of radioactive iodine and other radionuclides in drinking water from public water suppliers. 

Montana, M., Camacho, A., Serrano, I., Devesa, R., Matia, L. Valles, 1. (2013) Removal of radionuclides in drinking water by membrane treatment using ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and electrodialysis reversaL Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 125 (1), 86-92. 

Radionuclides MCLG (mgILf MCL or TT (mg/L) Potential Health Effects from Ingestion of Water Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water... 

The ingestion pathway is much more complicated than the others since the radionuclides, except those in drinking water, have to be taken up by the plants and then consumed by humans in either vegetable or animal form. Of the various pathways, the milk pathway is particularly important because a dairy cow consumes a large amount of vegetation and concentrates radionuclides (e.g,... 

The created technology of producing cationic and anionic exchange fibroid sorbents on the base of polyacrylonitrilic fibers is described in the paper. Chemical characteristics of the sorbent and filters were investigated. The static exchange capacity is 3-4 meq/g for cationic sorbents and 1-2 meq/g for anionic sorbents. The removal coefficient of listed radionuclides from drinking water by the filter is 102 - 103. 

The RMBC assessed its regional public-health priorities and developed the following nine demonstration projects on the basis of the needs of the community possible correlation of exposure to arsenic in drinking water and type 2 diabetes, a spot blood metals-analysis feasibility study, health-clinic samples for chemical-terrorism baselines, of relationship between urine arsenic and metal concentrations and drinking-water exposure, assessment of exposure to VOCs from subsurface volatilization, cotinine concentrations associated with environmental tobacco smoke, assessment of exposure to mercury from ingestion of fish, analysis of radionuclides in urine, and biomonitoring of organophosphorus pesticides in urine (Utah Department of Health 2006). 

Exposure Levels in Humans. The primary source of recent information on the occurrence of 90Sr in drinking water is the National Inorganics and Radionuclides Survey conducted by EPA. Better and more recent information on background levels in the environment (e.g., air, food, water, and soil) may be useful. Additional information on bioavailability of strontium and radiostrontium from environmental media is necessary. 

In drinking water indirect indicators are allowed from the viewpoint of radiology, such as total volume activity alpha and total volume activity beta, which help to assess the occurrence of alpha or beta active radionuclides in waters without the necessity to identify actual radionuclides whose... 

Uranium in drinking water is covered under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law establishes Maximum Contaminant Levels, or MCLs, for radionuclides and other contaminants in drinking water. The uranium limit is 30 g/1 (micrograms per liter) in drinking water. 

If monitoring the contaminant level in drinking water is not economically or technically feasible, the USEPA must specify a treatment technique that will effectively remove the contaminant from the water supply or reduce its concentration. The MCLs currently cover a number of volatile organic chemicals, organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, and radionuclides, as well as microbes and turbidity (cloudiness or muddiness). The MCLs are based on an assumed human consumption of 2 liters (roughly 2 quarts) of water per day. 

Figure 6.18. Treatment layouts for the four scenarios studied in a pilot plant for removing radionuclides from drinking water. Sampling points are represented by numbers in brackets (Montana et al., 2013). Code ultrafiltration (UF), reverse osmosis (ROX electrodialysis reversal (EDR).

The radionuclide of most concern in drinking water is radium, Ra. Areas in the United States where significant radium contamination of water has been observed include the uranium-producing regions of the western United States, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and New England. 

Of the following, the statement that is untrue regarding radionuclides in the aquatic environment is (a) they emit ionizing radiation, (b) they invariably come from human activities, (c) radionuclides of life elements, such as iodine-131, are particularly dangerous, (d) normally the radionuclide of most concern in drinking water is radium, (e) they may originate from the fission of uranium nuclei. 

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