Uranium in Drinking Water

What is Uranium?

Uranium, which is named after the planet Uranus, is a radioactive element categorized as a toxic heavy metal.

Uranium is in absolutely everything, but in very small doses. We eat and drink it in virtually every food item, but the body can process and rid itself of 99% or uranium through defecation. The remainder is generally processed by the kidneys, which at high levels can threaten kidney health and function.

Where is it Found?

Uranium is found in nature AND processed by man into uranium enriched items.
Uranium is everywhere in the earth’s crust. Though it is considered a metal, it does not exist in nature as pure metal.

In NATURE, trace amounts can be found in:

  • Minerals-like uraninite
  • rock, soil, rivers
  • drinking water
  • well water
  • plants and vegetables (absorbed through the roots)*
  • animals
  • oceans
  • even the air (as dust particles)
  • Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (aka: ATSDR).

Man-Made Sources of Uranium (Source: World Health Organization) include:

  • Sludge from uranium mills
  • Emissions from the nuclear industry
  • Coal combustion
  • Phosphate fertilizers that contain uranium
  • Tobacco smoke (from two packages of cigarettes per day) contributes less than 50 ng of inhaled uranium per day (Source: Lucas & Markun, 1970).

How Am I Exposed to Uranium?

Uranium enters your body mostly from the water you drink and the food you eat. But you can also inhale dust particles that contain uranium and some uranium can also be absorbed through the skin (Source: ATSDR).

WATER

  • All water has minerals in it. Unless it has been distilled and purified.
  • Some minerals contain uranium.
  • When water dissolves rocks and minerals – it may also dissolve uranium into your drinking water.
  • Typically, the deeper the well, the higher probability that trace amounts of uranium will be found.
  • There is likely SOME trace of uranium in much of the well water due to the abundance of uranium naturally found in soil and rocks.

FOOD

  • Food that has been grown in uranium contaminated soil – plants and vegetables take up uranium through their root systems.
  • The more uranium that exists in the soil – the more will be taken up by the plants and vegetables.
  • Root vegetables such as potatoes, parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes contribute the highest amounts of uranium to the diet. (Source: ATSDR)

How Much Uranium is Safe in Drinking Water?

Connecticut follows the US EPA Drinking Water Guidelines – called Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL).

The MCL for Uranium is:

  • 30 micrograms per liter (30 ug/L)

Uranium is measured in micrograms. To put it in perspective, 1 cup of water holds 236,588.24 micrograms. The EPA set a limit of 30 micrograms of uranium in one LITER of water which is 4.22 cups. That means the MCL per CUP of water is about 7 micrograms.

Quick Tip > 30 micrograms = 30 ug/l = .03 mg/l = 30 PPB

One interesting point is that the World Health Organization AND the EPA is pushing for ZERO level of uranium in drinking water.

Our Canadian friends to the North have already set their Uranium levels LOWER than us:
– MCL 20 micrograms per liter (20 ug/l)

Can You Bathe and Shower in Water That Contains Uranium?

Although you CAN absorb some uranium through your skin, the EPA states that there has not been any evidence that skin exposure to naturally occurring uranium is harmful. And that Bathing and showering with water that contains uranium is not a health concern.

However, the Connecticut Department of Public Health advises that a concentration of 900 micrograms per liter or higher makes water “unsafe for any household use.”

You are the best advocate for you and your family’s health.

How Harmful Is Uranium If Exposed?

Per the Center for Disease Control (CDC), your kidneys are the most at risk. When you drink contaminated water or eat contaminated food – most of the uranium will be excreted via urine and feces. But some of that uranium will be absorbed and enter your bloodstream. Bones and organs will become exposed, but your kidneys are the most sensitive. Depending on the uranium exposure – at high levels, defined by the CDC as 50-150 micrograms, uranium toxicity may cause acute kidney failure and possibly death. The CDC and EPA does state that bathing or showering in water contaminated with uranium is NOT harmful. However – that is still being debated and researched.

The health effects from ingesting uranium are caused primarily by its toxicity as a heavy metal to the kidneys, not due to its radioactivity. Uranium decreases the kidneys’ ability to filter toxins from your bloodstream. Per the CDC, these adverse effects MAY BE reversible if the uranium contamination is eliminated.

Can Uranium Exposure Cause Cancer, Including Leukemia?

Yes and No.

Yes – High levels AND excessive exposure to mad-made enriched uranium have been linked to cancer including lung cancer, bone cancer and leukemia (blood cancer) according to the EPA. The more radioactive the enriched uranium is – the greater the risk of getting cancer. Enriched uranium is the process of taking naturally occurring uranium and chemically altering the isotopes.

No – Per the CDC, no cancer of any type has been linked with human exposure to natural (non-enriched) uranium. BUT – the chemical effects of natural uranium do cause health problems, especially toxicity to the kidneys. And the EPA adds that contact with uranium may “increase risk for high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases (diseases that cause your immune system to attack healthy cells), and reproductive problems.”

The bottom line is that research is still being conducted to fully understand how uranium affects humans, and what the short-term and long-term exposure risks are.

How to Test for Uranium Exposure?

Uranium can be analyzed in hair, blood, urine and tissues. Some tests will provide total exposure levels of uranium. Other tests will determine if the uranium is from natural or man-made sources. Consult your doctor for more information.

You will naturally be exposed to uranium through your drinking water and food source because small amounts of uranium are everywhere in the environment – so it is impossible NOT to ingest SOME uranium through drinking and eating. Most of the uranium that enters your body will leave your body through excretion. But, SOME of the uranium will remain. This is called bioaccumulation which means the buildup of contaminants in living organisms such as your body. AND fish, animals, plants – any living thing will also accumulate uranium. Your exposure increases as you consume living things that have been contaminated.

How Do I Know if My Water is Contaminated with Uranium?

Since uranium has no smell, taste, odor or color – the only way to know IF it is in your water is to have your water professionally tested.

3 Ways to Test Your Water for Uranium

  1. Bring the sample yourself to a certified laboratory. Many labs will even supply you with a free sampling bottle and instructions. Usually you will run cold water at the kitchen sink, put about 2-3 cups of cold water in a plastic bottle (they may accept a clean water bottle) and bring the sample to the lab within 24 hours. Fees vary.
  2. Schedule a water uranium water test with your favorite Water Treatment Professional like H2O Equipment Company. We will come to your house at a convenient time, collect the sample, and bring it to the lab. Fee is $__ (must be within our service area).
  3. Arrange for the certified laboratory to collect the sample at your home. Fees and time vary.

How Do I Remove Uranium from My Water?

There are only TWO accepted and practical ways recognized by the EPA to remove uranium from your water:

  1. Reverse Osmosis – RO
  2. Ion Resin System

RO Systems

Reverses Osmosis – aka RO System – is like a water filter on steroids. It can remove a wide range of contaminants such as uranium from your water at the SUB-micron level (super small). The RO system contains special filters and a membrane that filter the uranium out of your water.

Big RO or Little RO

There is a small RO system that is installed at your kitchen sink OR a very large RO system that is installed to filter your entire house. If it is at your kitchen sink it is called a “Point of Use” RO system, aka POU RO. If it is installed to treat the whole house it is called a “Point of Entry” RO system, aka POE RO.

A POU RO at the kitchen sink is about 80% LESS expensive than the Whole House RO. It’s very affordable and very effective at removing uranium but the POU RO does NOT treat the entire home.

The Whole House Anion System for Uranium

The most affordable and effective way to remove uranium from your entire home is with an Anion System. This system is very similar to a water softener but is designed and built with a special material specifically for uranium. Like a water softener, it includes a mineral tank, a valve, and a salt tank. It is installed where the water enters your home. This biggest benefit is that is treats your ENTIRE HOUSE including your drinking, cooking, bathing, showering, and cleaning water and is ONE THIRD LESS than a whole house RO system.

Maintenance requires monthly salt level checks by you (just like a water softener), a yearly tune-up by a water treatment specialist, and an anion tank changeout every few years.

5 TIPS if Using an R.O. to Remove Uranium from Your Water

What Levels of Uranium Can an RO Treat?

When using a Reverse Osmosis System to remove uranium:

  1. Make sure the water has been tested – your uranium levels will determine IF an RO is the best choice
  2. Only use an R.O. if the uranium levels are below 900 micrograms
  3. The water going INTO the R.O. must be clean and clear and free of iron and hardness
  4. A mini booster pump – installed with the reverse osmosis – is a must
  5. A TDS meter – to monitor the performance of the R.O. – is necessary.

5 MUST DO’S When Using ANION Remove Uranium from Your Water

  1. Have your water tested for:
    1. Uranium
    2. Sulfate
    3. Nitrate
    4. Nitrite
    5. TDS
    6. pH
    7. Alkalinity
    8. Chloride
    9. Hardness
    10. Iron
    11. Silica
    12. Tannins
  2. Your Anion System MUST be sized properly based on uranium levels AND the above items. This is CRITICAL. Some companies use a “one size fits all” but this could lead to serious consequences. The more “stuff” you have in your water, the larger a unit you will need. Water testing and sizing are VERY important.
  3. Your pH can NOT exceed 8.2 or your system will NOT work. Test for it.
  4. You must NEVER run out of salt. Doing so will cause the uranium that is collected in the tank to enter your drinking water – called “dumping”.
  5. Anion Systems WILL lower your pH and make your water more acidic than it is naturally. You may need a neutralizer AFTER your Anion System.

6 Guidelines on How Often You Should Test Your Water for Uranium

  1. Establish a baseline – so test it now if you haven’t done so yet
  2. If you just installed a treatment system – test it after 3 months and then yearly (sample AFTER the water treatment system)
  3. If you already have a system for uranium – test it annually (sample AFTER the water treatment system)
  4. If you have previously tested negative for uranium – test your water ever 5 years
  5. Buying a new house? – test for uranium
  6. Drilling a new well? – test for uranium after it has been flushed clean

And while you are testing for uranium, also test for arsenic. These metals have been found in CT well waters. Arsenic has been classified as a carcinogen. Uranium has been linked as a toxic metal to the body with adverse effects to the kidney.