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Abstract
In the study discussed in this article, 27 private drinking water wells located in a rural Colorado mountain community were sampled for radon contamination and compared against (a) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPAs) proposed maximum contaminant level (MCL), (h) the U.S. EPA proposed alternate maximum contaminate level (AMCL), and (c) the average radon level measured in the local municipal drinking water system. The data from the authors' study found that 100% of the wells within the study population had radon levels in excess of the U.S. EPA MCL, 37% were in excess of the U.S. EPA AMCL, and 100% of wells had radon levels greater than that found in the local municipal drinking water system. Radon contamination in one well was found to he 715 times greater than the U.S. EPA MCL, 54 times greater than the U.S. EPA AMLC, and 36,983 times greater than that found in the local municipal drinking water system. According to the research data and the reviewed literature, the results indicate that this population has a unique and elevated contamination profile and suggest that radon-contaminated drinking water from private wells can present a significant public health concern.
Introduction
During the reclamation of a Superfund site located along the Colorado front range, an employee of a private company contracted by the U.S. Department of Energy began setting off radiation security alarms while entering the facility. After months of investigation to determine the source of this radiation, it was discovered that the drinking water from the individual's private well was so highly contaminated with radon that simply showering with this water left enough radiation on his body to trigger the alarms.
The purpose of our study was to identify and evaluate the potential extreme occurrence of natural radon contamination in private well water sources in this rural Colorado mountain community.
Review of Literature
Radon and Health
Radon is a well-established human carcinogen and is the principal source of radioactivity exposure among the general population in most countries around the world (Catelinois et al., 2006). For many years scientists have sought to assess cancer risk associated with long-term radon exposure, and in 2005, the U.S. surgeon general issued a national health warning reporting that radon causes at least 20,000...