Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that has no color, odor or taste. It is carried in the water pumped from wells and released to indoor air by activities such as cooking, showering and doing laundry. Breathing radon increases the risk of lung cancer (U.S. EPA,rev.October 18, 1999).
Both radium and uranium are very common elements present in Arizona soils and rock.
According to the Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS), many rural communities, especially in central Arizona, obtain their water from wells in fractured bedrock, and some of this bedrock contains high levels of uranium.
In the Central Arizona Basin (CAZB) Unit Study performed by US Geological Survey, radon was present in 100 percent of the samples, and uranium was detected in 90 percent of the samples.
At present, there is no federal requirement controlling radon in drinking water. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of proposing radon limits in water.
SOURCES
Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS)
Online Radon Publications
Radon in Arizona Water
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Report - Central Arizona Basin (CAZB) Study Unit - .pdf
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Proposed Limits for Radon in Water
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