Methods of Water Treatment


Water Contaminants

Acidic Water
Aluminum
Ammonia
Arsenic
Bacteria
Barium
Benzene
Bicarbonate
Borate (Boron)
Bromine (Bromide)
Cadmium
Calcium
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chloride
Chlorine
Chromium
Color
Copper
Cryptosporidium
Cyanide
Fluoride
Giardia Lamblia
Hardness
Hydrogen Sulfide
Iron
Lead
Legionella
Magnesium
Manganese
Mercury
Methane
Nickel
Nitrate
Nitrite
Odor
Organics
Pesticides
pH
Potassium
Radium
Radon
Selenium
Silica
Silver
SOC's
Sodium
Strontium
Sulfate
Taste
THM's
TOC
Total Dissolved Solids
Turbidity
Uranium
Viruses
VOCs

Radium

Source
Radium (Rn) is a radioactive chemical element which can be found in very small amounts in pitchblende and other uranium minerals. It is used in the treatment of cancer and some skin diseases. Radium 226 and radium 228 are of most concern when found in drinking water because of the effects on the health of individuals. Radium 228 causes bone sarcomas. Radium 226 induces carcinomas in the head. Radioactivity in water can be naturally occurring or can be from man-made contamination. Radiation is generally in curies (Ci). One curie equals 3.7~x 1010 nuclear transformations per second. A picocurie (pCi) equals 10.12 curies. The US EPA has set the MCL (maximum contamination level) for radium 226 and 228 at 5 pCi/L under the NIPDWR (national interim primary drinking water regulations).

Treatment
Radium can be removed by sodium for cation exchange resin in the form of a water softener. Reverse osmosis will remove 95 - 98% of any radioactivity in the drinking water.

Related Products
AP-RO5500 - For: Drinking Water Systems, under sink.