Radon in Water and RadionuclideRadon in drinking water is a significant health hazard, though a lesser hazard than radon in indoor air. Homes supplied with drinking water from a private well, or community water systems that use wells as water sources have a greater risk of exposure to radon in water. Radon in water is found in nearly all sources of surface water and groundwater. It is created by the radioactive decay of radium, a naturally occurring radioactive element found in underground rock formations, particularly granite and quartz. Water that flows through or over radium rich rock formations accumulate radium and thus radon from the decay process. Typically, groundwater has much higher levels of radon than surface water. This is because radon in groundwater is "trapped" by being submerged underground and cannot easily escape. Because of this fact, water supplies from underground wells have a much higher probability of having significant levels of radon. If you get your drinking water from a surface water source, radon in water probably is not a significant health hazard. Large, pre-treated municipal water supplies typically have negligible levels of radon in water because usually this type of water supply is drawn from surface water sources, and because water treatment tends to reduce radon levels even further. Aeration/Radon SystemsAeration units are typically used to remove gases from water. The most common gases are radon, hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg odor) and carbon dioxide (acid water). Aeration can be accomplished via air pumps, well line venturi-mirconizer, or bubbling the water in an atmospheric chamber. We offer all of the methods, but for the best results the diffused bubble aeration process is the most effective. |
