Radon in Water Solutions
Radon in water is not a problem until the gas escapes the water as it enters your home through faucets, showers, bathtubs and washing machines. As radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless element, the need for a water test is all the more critical. Radon is a radioactive gas which comes from the natural decay of uranium found in nearly all soils. (for more information about this topic, see the following link: Radon in Mass. Link. To remove radon in water, a properly designed system that agitates the radon gas out of the water then vents it safely to outside of the home is an effective approach to correcting this problem.
Radon in Water Removal
State Contaminant Guideline (in pCi/L):
Massachusetts = 10,000 pico curries per liter New Hampshire = 2,000 pico curries per liter
Maine = 4,000 pico curries per liter Rhode Island = 4,000 pico curries per liter
EPA = 4,000
Any home may have a radon problem from such sources as:
1. Cracks in solid floors 2. Construction joints
3. Cracks in walls 4. Gaps in suspended floors
5. Gaps around service pipes 6. Spaces inside walls
7. The water supply when gas is released into the air in the home
In 1988, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Radiation Control Program performed a study in conjunction with the EPA. The data gathered from that study estimates that one out of four houses may have radon in air levels above the 4pCi/L action level. However, the only way to know if your home has a problem is to perform a test.
Radon is a Class A carcinogen and the second leading cause of lung cancer. The increased risk of developing lung cancer from radon is directly related to the concentration of radon and the length of time that a person is exposed to it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are between 5,000 and 30,000 radon-related lung cancer deaths each year. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers, according to EPA.
Cigarette smokers should keep their exposure to radon as low as possible. Smokers have eight times the risk from radon as non-smokers. If the house was tested in an infrequently used basement, it may have measured a radon level that is higher than the actual level you are exposed to, spending most of your time upstairs. People with young children should be more concerned with the possible consequences of radon exposure 20 years from now than someone in their late sixties or seventies. Families with a hereditary predisposition of cancer should be more concerned about radon exposure than families who don’t have any history of cancer.
Although no level of radon in water or air is considered absolutely safe, the USEPA action level for radon is 4.0 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L). (pCi/l= picocuries per liter, the most popular method of reporting radon levels. A picoCurie is 0.000,000,000,001 (one-trillionth) of a Curie, an international measurement unit of radioactivity. One pCi/l means that in one liter of air there will be 2.2 radioactive disintegrations each minute. For example, at 4 pCi/l there will be approximately 12,672 radioactive disintegrations in one liter of air, during a 24-hour period.)
The risk of developing lung cancer at 4.0 pCi/L is estimated at about 7 lung cancer deaths per 1000 persons, which is why the USEPA and IEMA recommend reducing your radon level if the concentration is 4.0 pCi/L or more.
For more information about this topic, see the following link Radon in Mass. If your well tests positive for radon in water, a water treatment professional or state certified lab can be of assistance.
