Radon In Well Water Effects

Rarely building materials have been found to release radon into buildings.

Radon in well water effects.

Following ingestion of radon dissolved in water the biological half life for removal of radon from the body ranges from 30 to 70 minutes. Some radon stays in the water. Radon in well water can be released into the air in the home when water is used for showering and other household uses. The epa is proposing that radon levels in drinking water from public systems be below 300 pci l or alternatively below 4000 pci l if a multimedia mitigation plan for indoor air is developed by the state.

Radon in soil under homes is the biggest source of radon in indoor air and presents a greater risk of lung cancer than radon in drinking water. Research indicates there is an increased risk of lung cancer associated with long term exposure to elevated radon levels. Drinking water containing radon also presents a risk of developing internal organ cancers primarily stomach cancer. As required by the safe drinking water act epa has developed a proposed regulation to reduce radon in drinking water that has a multimedia mitigation option to reduce radon in indoor air.

Ground water moves through rock containing natural uranium that releases radon into the water. Radon is also found in ground water tapped by wells which supply about half the drinking water in the united states. The who guidelines for drinking water quality 2011 recommend that screening levels for radon in drinking water be set on the basis of the national reference level for radon in air. However breathing radon increases the risk of lung cancer over the course of your lifetime.

Normally a higher radon dose is received from inhaling radon compared with ingestion. Only about 1 2 percent of radon in the air comes from drinking water. Radon exposure can happen in any type of home whether it has a. Water from wells usually has higher concentrations of radon than does surface water such as lakes and streams.

While most radon related deaths are due to radon gas accumulated in houses from seepage through cracks in the foundation 30 to 1 800 deaths per year are attributed to radon from household water. For example a water well containing 2 000 pci l of radon would be expected to contribute 0 2 pci l to the indoor air radon concentration. Radon dissolved in drinking water can be released into indoor air. What are the health effects associated with radon.

The effects of radon if found in food or drinking water are unknown. Currently there is no federally enforced drinking water standard for radon.