Radium and Uranium Removal from Potable Water

Q: How are radium and uranium removed?

Ion Exchange with specialized resins effectively captures both elements. Reverse Osmosis removes 95–99% via membrane filtration. Lime Softening raises pH to precipitate radium for filtration, common in municipal-scale treatment. Aeration is sometimes added to address radon at the same time. Mueller Water often combines two methods to handle both isotopes plus radon outgassing.

Radium and uranium radioactive contamination testing in groundwater

Understanding the Radium and Uranium Contaminants

Radium and uranium are naturally occurring radioactive elements often found together in groundwater due to environmental decay processes. Radium is formed as uranium decays, and further decay of radium produces radon, a harmful gas. These interconnected contaminants pose significant health risks, making it essential to remove them from potable water to ensure safety.

Solutions for Removal

Ion Exchange: Replaces radium and uranium ions with safer alternatives, such as sodium, using specialized resins.
Reverse Osmosis: Employs a semi-permeable membrane to effectively remove up to 99% of radium, uranium, and their associated byproducts.
Lime Softening: Adjusts water hardness and precipitates radium for easier filtration.

Applications

These solutions are vital for residential, commercial, and municipal water systems to ensure safe drinking water.

Benefits of Removal

Eliminating radium, uranium, and radon from potable water protects health, ensures regulatory compliance, and enhances peace of mind.

Mueller Water Solutions

Mueller Water offers tailored systems for removing radium, uranium, and radon, ensuring safe, clean drinking water for all applications.

Contact Us

For reliable radium and uranium removal solutions, contact Mueller Water today. Our experts are ready to design a system that meets your potable water needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do radium and uranium get into drinking water?

Both are naturally occurring radioactive elements that leach into groundwater as it flows through uranium-bearing rocks (granites, shales, phosphate deposits). Radium forms as uranium decays, and continued decay of radium produces radon gas. Levels are highest in private wells drilled into specific geological formations — the upper Midwest, parts of the Mountain West, and certain Texas aquifers are common hot spots.

Why are radium and uranium in water dangerous?

Long-term exposure to radium increases the risk of bone, sinus, and head cancers from internal alpha-particle emission. Uranium is both a radiological hazard and a chemical toxin to the kidneys. Radon, the decay product, is a Group 1 carcinogen that primarily harms via inhalation when it volatilizes from showers, dishwashers, and laundry.

How are radium and uranium removed?

Ion Exchange with specialized resins effectively captures both elements. Reverse Osmosis removes 95–99% via membrane filtration. Lime Softening raises pH to precipitate radium for filtration, common in municipal-scale treatment. Aeration is sometimes added to address radon at the same time. Mueller Water often combines two methods to handle both isotopes plus radon outgassing.

What are the EPA limits for radium and uranium in drinking water?

The EPA maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) are 5 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) for combined Radium-226 and Radium-228, and 30 micrograms per liter (μg/L) for uranium. There is no federal MCL for radon in water yet, but the EPA recommends action above 4,000 pCi/L. Private wells are not regulated — homeowners are responsible for testing and treatment.

Recommended Mueller Products:

Reverse Osmosis SystemsGo To Product

Ion ExchangeGo To Product