Re: uranium in drinking water

[Jim Muckerheide <jmuckerheide@delphi.com>]

Rodney Bauman wrote:
> 
> Conservatively assuming the uranium is soluble (at 800 pCi/l) and factoring
> in the radium isotopes (12 pCi/l and 3.5 pCi/l), I calculate an annual
> "whole body" committed dose of ~ 1.7 mSv (170 mrem) and an annual committed
> dose to the bone surface of ~ 26 mSv (2600 mrem CDE).  My calculation
> assumes an intake of 2 liters of well water per day.
> 
> No adverse health effects have been observed from radiation exposures of
> this magnitude.
> 
> For radiation dose comparison, the federal numerical dose limits for workers
> in the U.S. nuclear industry are 50 mSv/year (whole body) and 500 mSv/year
> to the bone surface.
> 
> Also, average North American background (i.e., "natural") whole body doses
> are around 3.6 mSv/year (360 mrem/year).
> 
> The radiation dose associated with drinking this well water is in the
> neighborhood of natural background doses and within the variation of
> background levels from one location to another.  Thus, to claim that such a
> radiation exposure is causing an adverse health effect would imply that ill
> effects may also be expected from simply living on earth.
> 
> BTW, I've never known uranium to absorb through the skin, even in its most
> soluble compounds.

Well stated. But could note that US avg. WB is 1.6 mSv plus 2 from radon
products to lung. This is more like 2.5 Sv alpha to the lung 'surface.' Note
the variation in areas with hi U/Ra/Rn vs areas with none!  (Plus, 3.6 mSv is
'background' but includes medical; i.e., not 'natural').

Regards, Jim
muckerheide@mediaone.net
Radiation, Science, and Health
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