Drinking Water Contaminants - Radon

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Inorganic ContaminantsArsenicAntimonyAsbestosBariumBeryllium232CadmiumChromiumCopper CyanideFluorideLeadlead removalMercuryNitrate/NitriteSeleniumThallium

Microbes/bacteriaE Coli BacteriaCryptosporidium

RadioactiveRadon

OthersMTBE

Volatile Organic Contaminants (VOCS)BenzeneCarbon TetrachlorideChlorobenzeneo-Dichlorobenzene**p-Dichlorobenzene1,1-Dichloroethylenecis-1,2-Dichloroethylene trans-1,2-DicholoroethyleneDichloromethane1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-DichloropropaneEthylbenzeneStyreneTerachloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,1,1,-Trichloroethane1,1,2-TrichloroethaneTrichloroethyleneTolueneVinyl ChlorideXylenes

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Did you know?
Reverse osmosis is the finest water filtration method known. This process will allow the removal of particles as small as ions from a solution. It is used to purify water and remove salts and other impurities in order to improve the color, taste or properties of the fluid. R.O. uses a membrane that is semi-permeable, allowing the fluid that is being purified to pass through it, while rejecting other ions and contaminants from passing. This technology uses a process known as crossflow to allow the r.o. membrane to continually clean itself. This is the reason of why an r.o. element can last many years before clogging or need replacement. This water purification process requires a driving force to push the fluid through the membrane, and the most common force is household water pressure or pressure from a booster pump. The higher the pressure, the larger the driving force and efficiency.

Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that may cause cancer, and may be found in drinking water and indoor air. Some people who are exposed to radon in drinking water may have increased risk of getting cancer over the course of their lifetime, especially lung cancer. Radon in soil under homes is the biggest source of radon in indoor air, and presents a greater risk of lung cancer than radon in drinking water. As required by the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA has developed a proposed regulation to reduce radon in drinking water that has a multimedia mitigation option to reduce radon in indoor air.

As part of the Drinking Water and Health pages, this fact sheet is part of a larger U.S. EPA publication:
EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations