Survey of 226Ra/228Ra and inorganic constituents in Iowa private drinking water wells

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Date: 
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Author(s): 
Margaret E. Carolan
Richard J. Langel
Dustin May
Anthony DeSalvo
Humberto E. Gonzalez-Ribot
Alyssa J. Mattson
Michael D. Schueller
Darrin A. Thompson
David M. Cwiertny
Tori Z. Forbes
Journal Title: 
AWWA Water Science
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.

Citation: 

Carolan, M. E., Langel, R. J., May, D., DeSalvo, A., Gonzalez‐Ribot, H. E., Mattson, A. J., ... & Forbes, T. Z. (2022). Survey of 226Ra/228Ra and inorganic constituents in Iowa private drinking water wells. AWWA Water Science, 4(6), e1311. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1311