Contaminant | Maximum Contaminant Level |
Gross alpha particle activity, including Radium-226 but excluding radon and uranium | 15 pCi/L |
Combined Radium-226 and Radium-228 | 5 pCi/Li |
Uranium | 30 µg/L |
1The combined radium-226 and radium-228 value is determined by the addition of the results of the analysis for radium-226 and the analysis for radium-228.
Average Annual Concentrations Assumed to Produce a Total Body or Organ Dose of 4 mrem/year
Radionuclide | Critical Organ | Concentration |
Strontium-90 | Bone marrow | 8 pCi/L |
Tritium | Total body | 20,000 pCi/L |
Detection Limits for Gross Alpha Particle Activity, Radium-226, Radium-228, and Uranium
Contaminant | Detection Limit |
Gross alpha particle activity | 3 pCi/L |
Radium-226 | 1 pCi/L |
Radium-228 | 1 pCi/L |
Uranium | 1 µg/L |
Detection Limits for Man-Made Beta Particle and Photon Emitters
Contaminant | Detection Limit |
Gross beta | 4 pCi/L |
Cesium-134 | 10 pCi/L |
Iodine-131 | 1 pCi/L |
Strontium-89 | 10 pCi/L |
Strontium-90 | 2 pCi/L |
Tritium | 1,000 pCi/L |
Other radionuclides | 1/10 of the applicable limit |
RADIONUCLIDE ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY
Contaminant | Methodology | Reference (method or page number) | ||||||||
EPA1 | EPA2 | EPA3 | EPA4 | SM5 | ASTM6 | USGS7 | DOE8 | Other | ||
Naturally occurring | ||||||||||
Gross alpha11 & beta | Evaporation | 900 0 | P 1 | 00-01 | P. 1 | 302, 7110B, 7110 B-00 | R-1120-76 | |||
Gross alpha11 | Co-precipitation | 00-02 | 7110C, 7110C-00 | |||||||
Radium-226 | Radon emanation | 903 1 | p 16 | Ra-04 | p. 19 | 305, 7500-Ra C, 7500RaC-01 | D 3454-97, 05 | R-1141-76 | Ra-04 | NY9 |
Radiochemical | 903 0 | p 13 | Ra-03 | 304, 7500-Ra B, 7500-Ra B-01 | D 2460-97, 07 | R-1140-76 | GA14 | |||
Radium-228 | Radiochemical | 904 0 | p 24 | Ra-05 | p. 19 | 7500-Ra D, 7500-Ra D-01 | R-1142-76 | NY9 NJ10 GA14 | ||
Uranium12 | Radiochemical | 908 0 | 7500-U B, 7500-U B-00 | |||||||
Fluorometnc ICP-MS | 908 1 200 813 | 7500-U C (17th edition) 3125 | D 2907-97 D 5673-03, 05, 10 | R-1180-76 R-1181-76 | U-04 | |||||
Alpha spectrometry | 00-07 | p. 33 | 7500-U C, 7500-U C-00 | D 3972-97, 02,09 | R-1182-76 | U-02 | ||||
Laser phosphonmetry | D 5174-97, 02,07 | |||||||||
Alpha liquid scintillation spectrometry | D 6239-09 | |||||||||
Man-made | ||||||||||
Radioactive Cesium | Radiochemical | 9010 | P 4 | 7500-Cs B, 7500-Cs B-00 | D 2459-72 | R-llll-76 | ||||
Gamma ray spectrometry | 901.1 | p. 92 | 7120, 7120-97 | D 3649-91, 98a, 06 | R-1110-76 | 4.5.2.3 | ||||
Radioactive Iodine | Radiochemical | 902.0 | p. 6 p. 9 | 7500-I B, 7500-I B-00 7500-I C, 7500-I C-00 7500-I D, 7500-I D-00 | D 3649-91, 98a, 06 | |||||
Gamma ray spectrometry | 901.1 | p. 92 | 7120, 7120-97 | D 4785-93, 00a, 08 | 4.5.2.3 | |||||
Radioactive Strontium 89, 90 | Radiochemical | 905.0 | p. 29 | Sr-04 | p. 65 | 303, 7500-Sr B, 7500-SrB-01 | R-1160-76 | Sr-01 Sr-02 | ||
Tritium | Liquid scintillation | 906.0 | p. 34 | H-02 | p. 87 | 306, 7500-3H B, 7500-3H B-00 | D 4107-91, 98 (Reapproved 2002), 08 | R-1171-76 | ||
Gamma emitters | Gamma ray spectrometry | 901.1 902.0 901.0 | p. 92 | 7120 7500-Cs B, 7500-Cs B-00 7500-I B, 7500-I B-00 | D 3649-91, 98a, 06 D 4785-93, 00a, 08 | R-1110-76 | Ga-01-R |
The procedures shall be done in accordance with the documents listed below. The incorporation by reference of documents 1 through 10 was approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR Part 51. Copies of the documents may be obtained from the sources listed below. Information regarding obtaining these documents can be obtained from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800)426-4791. Documents may be inspected at EPA's Drinking Water Docket, EPA West, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room B135, Washington, DC 20460 (telephone (202)566-2426); or at the Office of Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC.
1Prescribed Procedures for Measurement of Radioactivity in Drinking Water," EPA 600/4-80-032, August 1980. Available at the US Department of Commerce, NTIS, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161 (telephone (800)553-6847) PB 80-224744.
2"Interim Radiochemical Methodology for Drinking Water," EPA 600/4-75-008(revised), March 1976. Available at NTIS, ibid. PB 253258.
3"Radiochemistry Procedures Manual," EPA 520/5-84-006, December 1987. Available at NTIS, ibid. PB 84-215581.
4Radiochemical Analytical Procedures for Analysis of Environmental Samples," March 1979. Available at NTIS, ibid. EMSL LV 053917.
5Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 13th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd editions, 1971, 1989, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2005, and 2012. Available at American Public Health Association, 800 I Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3710. Methods 302, 303, 304, 305, and 306 are only in the 13th edition. Methods 7110B, 7500-Ra B, 7500-Ra C, 7500-Ra D, 7500-U B, 7500-Cs B, 7500-1 B, 7500-1 C, 7500-1 D, 7500-Sr B, 7500-3H B are in the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd editions. Method 7110C and Method 7500-U C Alpha spectrometry are in the 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd editions. Method 7500-U C Fluorimetric Uranium is only in the 17th and 21st editions. Method 7120 is only in the 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd editions. Method 3125 is only in the 20th edition. Methods 7110 B-00, 7110 C-00, 7500-Ra B-01, 7500-Ra C-01, 7500-Ra D-01, 7500-U B-00, 7500-U C-00, 7500-1 B-00, 7500-1 C-00, 7500-1 D-00, 7120-97, 7500-Sr B-01, and 7500-3H B-00 are available online at www.standardmethods.org. The year in which each method was approved by the Standard Methods Committee is designated by the last two digits in the method number. The methods listed are the only online versions that may be used.
6Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Volumes 11.01 and 11.02, 2002. Any year containing the cited version of the method may be used. Available at ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428.
7"Methods for Determination of Radioactive Substances in Water and Fluvial Sediments," Chapter A5 in Book 5 of Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations of the United States Geological Survey, 1977. Available at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Information Services, Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225-0425.
8"EML Procedures Manual," 28th (1997) or 27th (1990) edition, Volumes 1 and 2; either edition may be used. In the 27th edition, Method Ra-04 is listed as Ra-05, and Method Ga-01-R is listed as Sect. 4.5.2.3. Available at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 376 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014-3621.
9Determination of Ra-226 and Ra-228 (Ra-02)," January 1980, revised June 1982. Available at Radiological Sciences Institute Center for Laboratories and Research, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12201.
10Determination of Radium-228 in Drinking Water," August 1980. Available at State of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Environmental Quality, Bureau of Radiation and Inorganic Analytical Services, 9 Ewing Street, Trenton, NJ 08625.
11Natural uranium and thorium-230 are approved as gross alpha calibration standards for gross alpha with co-precipitation and evaporation methods; americium-241 is approved with co-precipitation methods.
12If uranium (U) is determined by mass, a 0.67 pCi/ng of uranium conversion factor must be used. This conversion factor is based on the 1:1 activity ratio of U-234 to U-238 that is characteristic of naturally occurring uranium.
13Determination of Trace Elements in Waters and Wastes by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry," Revision 5.4, which is published in "Methods for the Determination of Metals in Environmental Samples - Supplement 1," EPA 600-R-94-111, May 1994. Available at NTIS, PB 95-125472.
14"The Determination of Radium-226 and Radium-228 in Drinking Water by Gamma-Ray Spectrometry Using HPGW or Ge(Li) Detectors," Revision 1.2, December 2004. Available from Environmental Resources Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, 620 Cherry Street, Atlanta, GA 30332-0335; telephone: (404)894-3776.
* Gross beta particle activity. Quarterly monitoring for gross beta particle activity shall be based on the analysis of monthly samples or the analysis of a composite of three monthly samples. The former is recommended.
* Iodine-131. A composite of five consecutive daily samples shall be analyzed once each quarter for iodine-131. The department may require more frequent monitoring when iodine-131 is identified in the finished water.
* Strontium-90 and tritium. Annual monitoring for strontium-90 and tritium shall be conducted by means of the analysis of a composite of four consecutive quarterly samples or analysis of four quarterly samples. The latter procedure is recommended.
Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-41.8