Re: Gross Alpha/Beta in Drinking Water -Reply

[FRAMEP@ORAU.GOV]

>Look at the National Primary Drinking Water Regs in 40 CFR 141.  I
>recollect gross alpha (Ra-226 and nat. U not inclusive) is 15 pCi/liter and
>gross beta is 50 pCi/L, but check me on this.

Thats pretty darn good from memory but it needs a minor correction:
Ra-226 is included, radon and U are excluded. EPAs proposed regs do
exclude Ra-226 in the gross alpha value however. The exact words of
40CFR141.15 (1995) 
Maximum contaminant levels for radium -226, radium-228, and gross
alpha particle radioactivity in community water systems:..... 
(a) Combined radium-226 and radium-228 - 5 pCi/l.
(b) Gross alpha particle activity (including radium-226 but excluding
radon and uranium)- 15pCi/l

40CFR141.16 deals with Maximum contaminant levels for beta particle
and photon radioactivity from man-made radionuclides in community
water systems.  This section states that this radioactve material shall not
result in an annual dose equivalent to the total body or any internal organ
greater than 4 mrem/year. Note that this is not a committed DE. 
40CFR141.126 says compliance with 141.16 may be assumed without
further analysis if the average annual concentration of gross beta
particle activity is less than 50 pCi/l and if the average annual
concentrations of tritium and strontium-90 are less than specified values.

In any event, I would think this has to be on-line. When in doubt get to
EPA via Bruce Busby's web site.

Best of luck

Paul Frame
Professional Training Programs
ORISE
framep@orau.gov