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Contaminant family guide

Radionuclides in Tap Water

Radionuclides are unstable elements that emit radiation. Drinking-water records may report individual radionuclides or combined screening measures.

Check my local water

3 compound guides3 with a federal MCL6 treatment methods named

What are radionuclides?

A family label, not a compound

Some radionuclides occur naturally in rock and soil; others can reflect human activity. Their measurement units and regulatory groupings differ from conventional chemical results.

Activity measurements, combined measures, and individual isotope results are not interchangeable. PurityMap presents the reference carried by each published compound record.

Sources named in the compound records
  • Natural mineral deposits
  • Mining activity
  • Natural mineral deposits (granite, shale aquifers)
Published compound guides

Three radionuclides with federal limits

Each has its own limit.

CAS 7440-61-1UraniumUranium (U)Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive metal that dissolves into groundwater from uranium-bearing rock. It poses both a chemical (kidney) risk and a radiological one.30 µg/LMCLMCLG 0Read compound evidence →Identifier not publishedRadium (226 + 228)Combined radium-226 and radium-228Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive element that dissolves into groundwater from rock and soil. It is regulated as the combined activity of radium-226 and radium-228.5 pCi/LMCLRadium-226 + 228 combined · MCLG 0Read compound evidence →Identifier not publishedGross alpha particlesGross alpha particle activityGross alpha is a combined measure of alpha-particle radioactivity in water, a screening figure for naturally occurring radionuclides such as radium and polonium (excluding radon and uranium).15 pCi/LMCLExcluding radon and uranium · MCLG 0Read compound evidence →
How to read a local result

Four checks before you act

  1. STEP 1Identify the named analyte

    A family name may contain compounds with different standards and health contexts.

  2. STEP 2Keep the measurement attached

    Read the value with its unit, qualifier, sampling period, reporting limit and source.

  3. STEP 3Compare only with the stated reference

    PurityMap does not turn unlike compound results into a family score or safety verdict.

  4. STEP 4Verify the treatment claim

    The product certification must name the compound or reduction claim.

Treatment capabilities in the published records

Six methods, each named by the compound guides

A technology name is only a starting point. Confirm the product’s certification names the compound before choosing equipment.

Treatment technologies
  • Reverse osmosis

    Named by 3 of 3 compound guides in this family.

    URaα
  • Activated alumina

    Named by 2 of 3 compound guides in this family.

    Raα
  • Anion exchange

    Named by 1 of 3 compound guides in this family.

    U
  • Coagulation / filtration

    Named by 1 of 3 compound guides in this family.

    U
  • Ion exchange

    Named by 1 of 3 compound guides in this family.

    α
  • Ion exchange (softening)

    Named by 1 of 3 compound guides in this family.

    Ra
Related intelligenceAssembled from PurityMap’s governed contaminant records. How we analyze water data
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