Health risks due to radon in drinking water

Journal Article · Wed Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 2000 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es9904134· OSTI ID:20020669

Doull, J ^[1]

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1. and others

Following more than a decade of scientific debate about the setting of a standard for {sup 222}Rn in drinking water, Congress established a timetable for the promulgation of a standard in the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. As a result of those Amendments, the EPA contracted with the National Academy of Sciences to undertake a risk assessment for exposure to radon in drinking water. In addition, the resulting committee was asked to address several other scientific issues including the national average ambient {sup 222}Rn concentration and the increment of {sup 222}Rn to the indoor-air concentration arising from the use of drinking water in a home. A new dosimetric analysis of the cancer risk to the stomach from ingestion was performed. The recently reported risk estimates developed by the BEIR VI Committee for inhalation of radon decay products were adopted. Because the 1996 Amendments permit states to develop programs in which mitigation of air-producing health-risk reductions equivalent to that which would be achieved by treating the drinking water, the scientific issues involved in such multimedia mitigation programs were explored.

• Research Organization: Clarkson Univ., Potsdam, NY (US)
• OSTI ID: 20020669
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 34; ISSN ESTHAG; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
DRINKING WATER
INDOOR AIR CONTAMINATION
NEOPLASMS
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADON 222
WATER POLLUTION