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Answer to Question #8072 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"Category: Alpha Emitters — Uranium The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: Q
Although your response to Question 3085 somewhat addresses my question, I am trying to find online the range of levels of uranium in well drinking water. After a hair analysis showed a high level of uranium, we had our well water tested and the analysis results states uranium as 2.6 with an error plus/minus of 1.0. This means nothing to me unless I have the range of levels and how the 2.6 relates to the range. Thank you so much for your time.
A
You are on the right track in wanting to know the range of values for uranium in well drinking water so you can better understand the results of your hair analysis. However, hair analysis, while it does detect uranium, is not an accepted method for determining the uranium burden in the body and is subject to many errors. I would not place a great deal of reliance on the results of a hair analysis for uranium. Readings are frequently high because uranium is present in various amounts, including soil and dust, and given the low weight of hair sample, even a tiny amount of dust could produce an artificially high result. And there are other sources of contamination as well, including shampoos. Also, the rate of excretion of uranium via the hair is not known. The amount of uranium in well drinking water covers a very wide range of values and is by and large determined by the rock strata from which the well water is obtained. Levels would be higher but typically below the safety standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency in areas such as the Rocky Mountain plateau or upstate New York, along the Redding prong, or near Spokane, Washington, where uranium levels in the soil are relatively high. The range of concentrations of uranium in untreated well waters runs from about 0.02 to 200 micrograms of uranium per liter of water, and most waters typically contain a few (say less than than 10) micrograms of uranium per liter of water. The concentration in sea water is relatively constant at about 2 to 3.7 micrograms of uranium per liter of water. If you are concerned that the concentration of uranium in your well water may be excessive and exceed the safety limits, I suggest you contact your state health department for assistance.
Answer posted on 23 April 2009. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.
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