Radium in Water

Radium (Ra) is a radioactive chemical element which can be found in very small amounts in pitchblende and other uranium minerals. So how does radium get into the water supply? Generally radium in water is a concern for people who receive drinking water from groundwater resources such as well water. Groundwater moves slowly through cracks and pores of underground material and minerals. This slow movement can allow minerals and elements to be dissolved out of the rock and into the ground water.
Radium 226 and radium 228 are of most concern when found in drinking water because of the effects on the health of individuals. Radium 228 causes bone sarcomas. Radium 226 induces carcinomas in the head. Radioactivity in water can be naturally occurring or can be from man-made contamination. Radiation is generally measured in curies (Ci). One curie equals 3.7 x 1010 nuclear transformations per second. A picocurie (pCi) equals 10-12 curies. The US EPA has set the MCL (maximum contamination level) for radium in water 226 and 228 at 5 pCi/L under the NIPDWR (national interim primary drinking water regulations).

 
Radium Water Treatment - Radium water treatment starts with having your water tested. If Radium is present in your water supply, Radium can be removed by sodium for cation exchange resin in the form of a water softener. Another effective radium water treatment options is using Reverse Osmosis water purification system which will remove 95 - 98% of any radioactivity radium in the drinking water.