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Radium is a radioactive material that can be found in groundwater. Over time, uranium decays to become radium, and radium breaks down to become radon gas. Radium is a radionuclide, which is a radioactive isotope that emits radiation. There are several forms of radium. The most common isotopes found in well water are radium 226 (Ra-226) and radium 228 (Ra-228).
Radium can enter private wells through the surrounding rocks, and your local geology plays a role in how your well water is affected. For instance, in Illinois, radium levels in drinking water are higher in the northern third of state where there is radium present in the granite bedrock compared to the central third of the state which relies on shallower sand and gravel aquifers.
What are the effects of radium in well water?
Radium is considered a primary contaminant by the USEPA because it poses health risks including:
Cancer, particularly bone cancer (if ingested of a long period of time)
Linked to weakened immune systems, anemia, cataracts, fractured teeth, and pregnancy complications.
When should I test for radium in my well water?
It is assumed that any radiation exposure from any sources poses a health risk. However, the maximum contaminant level of radium in water set by the USEPA is 5 picocuries per liter for radium 226 and radium 228 combined. Radium does not have a taste, odor, or color. Testing is the only way to know if it is present in your well water. If you have specific concerns about radium in your well water, it is recommended to consult with your local health department or a licensed health professional for further guidance.
To ensure you are protecting your family’s health, we have developed a set of recommendations for testing that are provided in our article, "What do I need to know about sampling my well water?". When testing your well water you will very rarely be testing for only one thing, like radium, and instead testing for a suite of constituents that are important to identify if in your drinking water.
What treatment should I use if there is radium in my well water?
Once you test and have decided to treat your water to remove radium, the Minnesota Department of Health has developed a Home Water Treatment Guide that covers treatment for any common constituent in well water.
The most important advice we can provide you is if you are going to add treatment to your home water system, be sure the treatment device has been certified to remove iron by an independent third-party certification organization.
Remember, radium is a radioactive substance, and the filters must be disposed of in an appropriate manner. Contact your water treatment professional, local health department, or your state's radiation control program for more information.
Where can I get local help and information about radium in my well water?
Contact your local health department – They can help you interpret your sample results and may have information on the best treatment options for your situation. If they personally aren’t able to answer your questions, they will know who to contact who will be able to help you, likely at your state health department.
Contact a water treatment professional - we would recommend contacting a water treatment professional who has been certified through the Water Quality Association’s Professional Certification Program.
State or Federal Geologic or Water Resource Agency – they may have completed field studies of your area or collected samples from water wells to map and understand the water quality in your state. In addition, they may house water well logs, including yours, or be able to provide additional information about the aquifer your well is getting water from.
Consult your well driller or drilling contractor – the contractor that drilled your well, and other local contractors, may be aware of the water quality issues nearby including high radium levels, and might have worked with other well owners in your area to solve this issue .
Research online – you should be inquisitive; it will help you significantly because there may be great information available online. Use search terms like “my state (CA, ME, IL, etc.) water well logs”, “my state groundwater quality”, or “my state well water quality”.
Contact us directly – if these other local sources don’t work out for you, we may be able to help. We may be able to provide direct assistance, and/or direct you to a technical assistance provider in your area who can help answer your questions (free service funded by USEPA).
Additional Resources:
Home Water Treatment. Minnesota Department of Health
Natural Radionuclides in Private Wells. US Environmental Protection Agency.
Radium in Drinking Water. Illinois Department of Public Health.
Want to learn more about your private well and how to care for it?
Sign up for the free 10-week email course from PrivateWellClass.org. The class is a project of RCAP and the University of Illinois, with funding from USEPA.
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