Radiological Contamination
Radon
Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that can occur in well water. It is considered to be a known carcinogen. Current opinion at this point in time is that the major threat is from breathing radon in air. Consumption of radon-containing water is considered to be much less of a health risk. If your water supply has a high level of radon, the household air will have an increased radon level, especially in the bath or shower area.
The USEPA has promised a final ruling on radon levels. The current proposed ruling is complex and based on a "multimedia mitigation program." Roughly translated for private well owners, as long as your indoor air radon levels are within EPA limits (4pCi/L air) then the recommended limit on water radon is 4000pCi/L.
In the opinion of Colorado Water Wizard, if your water radon level is above 3000pCi/L, especially if you have young children in the household, you should explore the options for radon removal for the whole house.
Removal can be accomplished by aeration or by the use of granular activated carbon filters. Selection of an option is based on the level of radon, the layout of your house, and the availability of space in the mechanical room.
For more detail on Radon, see the Updated Statement on Radon Levels in Household Water.
Uranium
Uranium is common in the Front Range, Colorado area, especially in groundwater in the hills west of Boulder and Denver. Uranium poses a risk primarily in the drinking water. The risk is less in water used for bathing and showering simply because we absorb this type of substance to a considerably greater degree from the digestive tract than from the skin.
The USEPA has established a limit of 30pCi/Lwhich is roughly 0.04ppm (parts per million). This limit is based on calculating the risk to an individual who consumes two liters of water a day with a level of 30pCi/L every day for 70 years.
Removal of uranium from the drinking water is best accomplished by the use of Reverse Osmosis at the sink; however a distiller is also effective.
Uranium can be removed from the whole house using a special type of softener - an anion softener.
