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- Title
Survey of <sup>226</sup>Ra/<sup>228</sup>Ra and inorganic constituents in Iowa private drinking water wells.
- Authors
Carolan, Margaret E.; Langel, Richard J.; May, Dustin; DeSalvo, Anthony; Gonzalez‐Ribot, Humberto E.; Mattson, Alyssa J.; Schueller, Michael D.; Thompson, Darrin A.; Cwiertny, David M.; Forbes, Tori Z.
- Abstract
Radium is a naturally‐occurring radioactive element found in Upper Midwest aquifers, yet exposure risks for unregulated water sources in this region are unknown. A survey of 226/228Ra and other inorganic constituents in 94 private wells was conducted in 2019 across 10 Iowa counties. Within private wells, 53% measured below minimum detectable activity whereas 6.3% have 226/228Ra levels above the United States Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level. 226/228Ra occurrence was not associated with well‐depth or chemical surrogates, but were generally consistent with the lithology and historical water quality trends for aquifers. In 2020, 11 of the 226/228Ra‐impacted wells were re‐sampled to assess the efficacy of in‐home water treatment. Water softeners reduced 226/228Ra to non‐detectable activities, but other inorganic constituents persisted and their removal required more advanced treatment. This study suggests that 226/228Ra occurrence in private wells can reasonably be anticipated from public water supply data if reliable information is available to identify the source aquifer.
- Subjects
DRINKING water; INORGANIC compounds; PETROLOGY; WATER quality; WATER purification
- Publication
AWWA Water Science, 2022, Vol 4, Issue 6, p1
- ISSN
2577-8161
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/aws2.1311