Since the discovery that ionizing radiation can harm the body, various international and national groups have begun studying radiation in water. They have also learned how the human population is exposed to it and estimated the biological effects of such exposure.
Luckily, there is an abundant source of information on the biological hazards of ionizing radiation. For example, the Subcommittee on Radioactivity in Drinking Water heavily relied on the data from the abstracts of the groups. They have summarized it accordingly per sections.
In other cases, it is possible to have published and unpublished data in an assessment of the effects of radioactivity on people's water in the United States.
The resources of the reports come from the groups of the National Academy of Sciences Advisory Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR), the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP).
This article will discuss the presence of radiological contaminants in the water. Also, it aims to explain ways to remove it effectively to make the drinking water safe from contamination.
Background Radiation
All people worldwide are exposed to natural ionizing radiation, which includes products of the radioactive decay elements in the crust of the atmosphere and the earth, as well as cosmic rays.
Some of the terrestrial radiation comes from external sources to the body. Also, a part can be from ingesting and inhaling the radioactive elements in water, food, and air.
In America, such unavoidable background radiation can give the entire community a dose of 100 mrem each year. However, the amount of radiation is significantly variable, depending on the altitude and geological characteristics.
For example, in Colorado, studies found that the background dose is around 100 mmrem or higher. Indeed, humans have lived for generations with such a level of radiation. The radionuclides in the water sources can contribute as a small share with these levels.
An Abundance of Radionuclides in the Drinking Water
Indeed, slight traces of radioactivity can be found in the drinking water. Meanwhile, the composition and concentration can vary from place to place. It all depends principally on the rock's radiochemical composition and the soil that passed on the raw water.
Furthermore, many artificial and natural radionuclides are found in the water. However, most radioactivity can be because of relatively few nuclides plus their decay products.
Some radiation emitters with low linear energy transfer are potassium-40, tritium, carbon -14, and rubidium -87. Also, radon-22, polonium-210, uranium, thorium, radium-228, and radium -226.
Natural Radionuclides
Sources of Low-Let Radiations
Radioactive elements can be the source of other radionuclides responsible for the natural radioactivity in drinking water. The decay products are added to the Earth when they form, and the bombardment of cosmic rays continuously produces others.
Cosmic ray interactions can produce tritium with nitrogen and atmospheric oxygen. Then, it is oxidized to tritiated water until mixed in the hydrosphere. The tritium concentrations in the water supplies can vary from 10 to 25 pCi per liter.
In the same way, carbon-14, produced by cosmic rays that interact with atmospheric nitrogen, is oxidized into carbon dioxide. Generally, it is found at a concentration corresponding to around six pCi of each gram of carbon.
Drinking water that contains I mg of carbon in each liter is expected to have a concentration of around 0.006 pCi per liter. Meanwhile, ocean water can have about 0.1 pCi per liter of concentration.
Potassium-40 is the most significant natural radionuclide in drinking water. It emits low-LET radiation. This primordial radionuclide can occur at a total potassium of 0.0118%.
Adults in the United States can ingest around 2,300 pCi of potassium-40 daily. However, the majority of this can come from foods.
Since the potassium concentrations in human beings seem to be under homeostatic control, the fluctuations of water potassium in a wide scope can negatively affect the internal concentrations.
For example, in California in 1970, drinking water contained up to 4 pCi per liter of potassium-40. Consuming 2 liters of such water daily can contribute to 8 pCi. However, this is nothing compared to the total daily intake of 2,300 pCi of a nuclide. Indeed, this is the most significant natural contributor to a total genetic and somatic dosage.
Sources of High-Let Radiation
The radionuclides from the decay of thorium-232 and uranium-238 are extensively distributed throughout the earth's crust. Many of them, including radon, polonium, and radium, are known as alpha emitters.
The uranium concentrations in the drinking water were highly variable, ranging from 0.02 to 200 ug per liter in the drinking water sources.
Meanwhile, the content of thorium in drinking water has not been extensively measured. However, its concentration in the human skeleton is around one fCi per gram of ask. As such, the abundance of uranium in the human skeleton is said to be ten times greater.
Studies have shown that natural alpha emitters are bone seekers in drinking water. As such, radium -226 and radium -228 can potentially produce harmful radiation doses to man.
The radium-226 fresh surface water content varies, ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 pCi per liter. Meanwhile, some groundwater resources can contain up to 100 pCi per liter. The drinking water from the surface water supplies does not generally contain significant amounts of radium. With this, treatment processes like water softening and flocculation can remove most radium from the water.
There is an area in the Midwest of America where the groundwater contains significant amounts of radium-228 and radium-226. This area is in Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin. In the 1960s, the states had around 1 million people.
The weighted mean concentration of radium-226 can be estimated to be five pCi per liter. According to studies, around 500,000 people in Iowa and Illinois have been drinking water contaminated with radium -226 of about 3 to 6 pCi per liter. Meanwhile, there are everywhere 300,000 people who consume 6-9 pCi per liter, and approximately 200,000 people live in areas with 9-80 pCi per liter of radium-226.
The researchers also stated that 113,000 people drink water with 20 pCi per liter, and 5,700 people drink 20-25 pCi per liter. In one community with around 1,200 people, the well had 80 pCi per liter of radium -226. Now, they use water wells with only three pCi per liter.
In a 1966 survey, the researchers found that water supplies in areas like the Northern Midwest contain more than three pCi of radium-226 per liter. These supplies serve around 145,000 people. According to the data provided, about 1.1 million people in the United States consume water that contains around three pCi per liter of radium-226.
Furthermore, the major contributor to alpha-emission in drinking water is the decay of radium-228. However, other alpha-emitting natural substances can be found in drinking water. They occur in just small concentrations.
For example, in water analysis, a water sample containing five pCi of radium-228 per liter is found to have less than 0.02 pCi of isotopes and thorium per liter. It also includes around 0.03 pCi of uranium per liter.
Two other radium isotopes can be found in drinking water. Radium-224 and radium-223 can contribute to the gross alpha activity measured after drawing water from the tap. However, due to their short half-lives, their contributions to the long-term dose in the skeleton can be negligible.
However, radium-228, decayed by beta emission and not contributing to the gross alpha activity in drinking water, can give rise to alpha-emitting products. Radium-228 and radium-226 can produce a significant alpha particle dose in body tissues and the skeleton.
When discussing the presence of radium in drinking water, it is crucial to distinguish between the isotopic mixture in the long-term alpha dose and freshly drawn drinking water.
Radioactivity in Drinking Water Effects
Developmental and Teratogenic Effects
The developing fetus can be exposed to radionuclides in drinking water for nine months, so the accumulated radiation dose can be relatively small.
Although the fetus is considered sensitive to the effects of radiation in developmental stages, such periods can be short and limited. The total dose that can administer some teratogenic and developmental outcomes can be minimal.
Genetic Effects
The United States has around 94,400 genetic diseases per million live births. There are cases of soft-tissue dose live births, congenital disabilities, and bone diseases each year.
Carcinogenic Effects
Radiation’s natural background can cause 4.5 to 45 cases of cancer per million people. Each year, the whole-body radiation from radionuclides can contribute about 1% to the typical drinking water. As such, cancers other than those in the bone can increase the total amount.
In areas with an average radium concentration, less than 7% of the total bone dose was received from the background radiation for radium.
For the skeletal irradiation by radium, the average carcinogenic risk can be approximately 0.2 fatal cases of bone cancer per million persons each year per rein.
The Berkey Water Filtration System
One effective way to remove radiological contaminants from the water is to use our Berkey Water Filtration. This innovation protects the whole family from radiological contaminants.
Our Berkey Water Filter offers seven units with two Black Berkey Water Filters. While similar in appearance, these units cater to different storage needs, ensuring your family's unique requirements are met.
According to laboratory tests conducted by our company, our Berkey Water Filtration System can remove around 99.9% of harmful chemicals and even radiological compounds that are invisible to the naked eye.
Black Berkey® Elements dramatically reduce trihalomethanes, inorganic minerals, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, VOCs, petroleum products, perfluorinated chemicals, rust, silt, sediment, radiological, and more.
Check out some of our Berkey products available below:
Royal Berkey Water Filter
One of our best-selling Berkey filters is the Royal Berkey Water Filter. It is suitable for medium—to large-sized families.
Indeed, the Royal Berkey gravity water filter provides safe drinking water free from radiological contaminants.
The product's storage capacity is 3.25 gallons or around 12.3 liters. It can serve about 2 to 4 people daily.
The product's flow rate is 15.1 per hour. It can accommodate two Black Berkey Water Filters plus two chambers (upper and lower chambers). However, it can also be configured to have four filters to protect drinking water from other chemicals.
Berkey Light Water Filter
Another great solution to eliminating radiological contaminants is our Berkey Light Water Filter. This product has a capacity of 2.75 gallons (10.4 liters) and features two Black Berkey Water filters.
This product is made of a non-BPA and non-BPS copolyester, ensuring no water can leach inside.
It can accommodate 1 to 5 people daily and, when fully configured, can serve around 200 people, especially during emergencies.
Conclusion
In summary, the radiation associated with most water sources is a small proportion of the standard background that all humans are exposed to, making it difficult to measure the health effects with conviction.
However, in some water supplies, the radium can reach concentrations that can pose a risk of bone cancer to those exposed.
Invest in a water filter, such as the Berkey Water Filtration System, to protect loved ones from the ill effects of radiation. This unit protects the family from radiological harm.
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