Radon In Well Water Massachusetts

How can i find out if my home has radon.

Radon in well water massachusetts.

High levels of dissolved radon are found in the groundwater in some areas flowing through granite or granitic sand and gravel formations. In massachusetts it is estimated that 650 000 homes have radon levels that exceed the epa action guideline of 4 pci l. Most radon that is found in homes in massachusetts as well as many other parts of the country is typically found in the air. Radon enters into a home from seepage through cracks in the basement floor and walls.

Some people who are exposed to radon in drinking water may have increased risk of getting cancer over the course of their lifetime especially lung cancer. Showering washing dishes and laundering can disturb the water and release radon gas into the air you breathe. There is currently no federal drinking water standard for radon. While there is also no state requirement to have your well water tested the massachusetts department of environmental protection massdep recommends that all homeowners with private wells do so and use a state certified testing laboratory.

Proposed radon in drinking water regulation radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that may cause cancer and may be found in drinking water and indoor air. It is capable of removing around 95 of the radon in the water making the water safe enough to use in your home. Granular activated carbon this filter installs outside of your home and uses activated carbon to remove the radon from the water. The massachusetts maximum contaminant levels mmcls listed in the drinking water regulations 310 cmr 22 00 consist of promulgated us epa mcls which have become effective plus a few mcls set specifically by massachusetts.

They found that one in four homes in massachusetts has the potential to have indoor radon concentrations above the epa action level of 4 pci l. In 1988 the beh radiation control program and the epa conducted the massachusetts state radon survey. Epa estimates that 628 radon related lung cancers occur annually in massachusetts. If you live in an area with high radon in groundwater it can get into your private well.