Radium sources include stormwater runoff from mining operations, discharges from industrial and medical activities and fallout from nuclear weapons detonation or accidental discharge from nuclear power facilities. Radium in groundwater primarily occurs as two radioactive isotopes, each having a different half-life. These are Ra 226 and Ra 228. This MCL is well below levels at which health effects have been observed. There are no health risks associated with bathing, washing dishes or doing laundry in water containing radium since the skin blocks the alpha radiation.
Radium is known to cause bone cancer if consumed in high doses.
It enters the body naturally with water and food. Internally deposited radium emits radiation as alpha particles that may then damage surrounding tissues. It is chemically and structurally similar to calcium and the body absorbs it into bones. In dealing with a radium problem in drinking water, potential solutions include a new water source, blending water from more than one source, or removing the radium by treatment. A fairly inexpensive treatment method is ion exchange, which is used in home water softeners.