RadionuclidesRadionuclides RuleRule OverviewOverview 1 OverviewOverview ¾ AbbreviationsAbbreviations && AcronymsAcronyms ¾ RadionuclidesRadionuclides andand HealthHealth EffectsEffects ¾ RuleRule BackgroundBackground ¾ RuleRule RequirementsRequirements ¾ MonitoringMonitoring RequirementsRequirements ¾ DeterminingDetermining ComplianceCompliance ¾ ViolationsViolations ¾ Beta/PhotonBeta/Photon EmitterEmitter RequirementsRequirements ¾ AdditionalAdditional ConsiderationsConsiderations ¾ Q&AQ&A 2 AbbreviationsAbbreviations && AcronymsAcronyms µg/L Micrograms per Liter CWS Community Water System DL Detection Limit EPTDS Entry Point to the Distribution System GA Gross alpha particle activity MCL Maximum Contaminant Level MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal 3 AbbreviationsAbbreviations && Acronyms,Acronyms, cont.cont. mrem/year Millirems per Year NPDWR National Primary Drinking Water Regulation NTNCWS Nontransient Noncommunity Water System pCi/L Picocuries per Liter Ra-226 Radium-226 Ra-228 Radium-228 RAA Running Annual Average SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act 4 RadionuclideRadionuclide SourcesSources ¾¾ NaturallyNaturally occurringoccurring radionuclidesradionuclides z RegionalRegional (e.g.,(e.g., GreatGreat Lakes,Lakes, mountains)mountains) z GeologicalGeological (granitic(granitic formations,formations, sandstonesandstone aquifers,aquifers, shales,shales, phosphatephosphate deposits)deposits) ¾¾ ManMan--mademade radionuclidesradionuclides z NuclearNuclear weaponsweapons && powerpower plantsplants z Hospitals/medicalHospitals/medical facilitiesfacilities z IndustryIndustry (labs,(labs, pharmaceuticals)pharmaceuticals) 5 TypesTypes ofof RadiationRadiation ¾¾ IonizingIonizing z AlphaAlpha radiationradiation (uranium,(uranium, RaRa--226)226) z BetaBeta radiationradiation (Ra(Ra--228,228, manmademanmade sources)sources) z GammaGamma radiationradiation (Ra(Ra--226)226) ¾¾ NonNon--ionizingionizing z MicrowavesMicrowaves z RadioRadio waveswaves 6 HealthHealth EffectsEffects ¾¾ IonizingIonizing radiationradiation damagesdamages livingliving tissuetissue ¾¾ RiskRisk ofof cancercancer ¾¾ RiskRisk ofof congenitalcongenital defectsdefects ¾¾ KidneyKidney toxicitytoxicity (uranium)(uranium) 7 RegulatoryRegulatory BackgroundBackground ¾¾ 19761976 interiminterim regulationsregulations z MCLsMCLs forfor grossgross alpha,alpha, RaRa--226/228,226/228, beta/photonbeta/photon emittersemitters ¾¾ 19911991 proposedproposed regulationregulation z ReviseRevise existingexisting MCLsMCLs z RegulateRegulate uraniumuranium andand radonradon z RegulateRegulate NTNCWSsNTNCWSs 8 FinalFinal RuleRule RequirementsRequirements ¾ EffectiveEffective DecemberDecember 8,8, 20032003 ¾ AppliesApplies toto allall CWSsCWSs ¾ SetsSets uraniumuranium MCLMCL (CA(CA –– 35ug/L)35ug/L) ¾ RetainsRetains MCLsMCLs for:for: z Combined Ra-226 & Ra-228 z Gross alpha z Beta particle and photon radioactivity 9 FinalFinal RuleRule Requirements,Requirements, cont.cont. ¾¾ SetsSets revisedrevised monitoringmonitoring requirementsrequirements z EPTDSEPTDS monitoringmonitoring z StandardizedStandardized monitoringmonitoring frameworkframework z NoNo substitutionssubstitutions forfor RaRa--228228 10 RegulatoryRegulatory ComparisonComparison Provision 1976 Rule 2000 Final Rule MCLG None MCLG = 0 Uranium Not Regulated 30 µg/L MCL Monitoring 4 quarterly measurements Standardized baseline > 1/2 MCL? 4 samples/4 yrs Monitoring Framework < 1/2 MCL? 1 sample/4 yrs Beta Particle Surface water systems > 100,000 Vulnerable systems & Photon screen at 50 pCi/L. Vulnerable screen at 50 pCi/L Emitters systems screen at 15pCi/L 11 RadionuclideRadionuclide MCLsMCLs RadionuclideRadionuclide MCLsMCLs CombinedCombined RaRa--226/Ra226/Ra--228228 55 pCi/LpCi/L GrossGross alphaalpha particleparticle activityactivity 1515 pCi/LpCi/L UraniumUranium (new(new MCL)MCL) 3030 µµg/Lg/L Beta/photonBeta/photon emittersemitters 44 mrem/yearmrem/year 12 MonitoringMonitoring RequirementsRequirements Future Grandfathered Mon. Data Determined Conduct Initial Monitoring Dec. 8, 2003 Dec. 31, 2007 June 2000 States can allow grandfathering of samples collected Systems collect 4 consecutive quarterly samples at each EPTDS Results determine monitoring frequency 13 GrandfatheredGrandfathered DataData ¾¾ CanCan satisfysatisfy initialinitial monitoringmonitoring ¾¾ RequiresRequires statestate approvalapproval ¾¾ CollectedCollected betweenbetween 6/006/00 –– 12/8/0312/8/03 ¾¾ NotNot permittedpermitted forfor beta/photonbeta/photon emittersemitters 14 GrandfatheredGrandfathered Data,Data, cont.cont. ¾¾ SystemSystem sampledsampled atat EPTDS,EPTDS, oror ¾¾ SystemSystem hashas 11 EPTDSEPTDS andand collectedcollected samplessamples fromfrom distributiondistribution system,system, oror ¾¾ StateState findsfinds distributiondistribution systemsystem datadata areare representativerepresentative ofof allall EPTDSEPTDS 15 InitialInitial MonitoringMonitoring ¾¾ CompleteComplete byby DecemberDecember 31,31, 20072007 ¾¾ 44 quarterlyquarterly samplessamples atat EPTDSEPTDS z StateState cancan waivewaive lastlast 22 quartersquarters ¾¾ CompositingCompositing isis permittedpermitted ¾¾ ComplianceCompliance basedbased onon runningrunning annualannual averageaverage (RAA)(RAA) 16 InitialInitial Monitoring,Monitoring, cont.cont. ¾¾ SamplesSamples areare notnot inin consecutiveconsecutive quarters:quarters: z BaseBase RAARAA onon numbernumber ofof samplessamples collected,collected, ANDAND z CollectCollect finalfinal samplesample asas soonsoon asas possible,possible, OROR z CollectCollect samplesample inin missedmissed quarter,quarter, nextnext yearyear 17 MonitoringMonitoring LocationsLocations ¾¾ SampleSample forfor eacheach radionuclideradionuclide atat EPTDSEPTDS Well 1 Well 2 z StateState cancan designatedesignate representativerepresentative samplingsampling x pointpoint ¾¾ SampleSample duringduring normalnormal operatingoperating conditionsconditions Well 3 x z WaterWater shouldshould representrepresent allall sourcessources inin useuse 18 Routine/ReducedRoutine/Reduced MonitoringMonitoring ¾ DetermineDetermine samplingsampling frequencyfrequency z Use RAA or grandfathered data from each EPTDS ¾ BeginBegin routineroutine monitoringmonitoring z Use subsequent data to set schedule ¾ SchedulesSchedules areare determineddetermined forfor eacheach contaminantcontaminant andand forfor eacheach EPTDSEPTDS 19 MonitoringMonitoring FrequencyFrequency ¾ ForFor combinedcombined radium,radium, grossgross alpha,alpha, uranium:uranium: << DLDL 11 samplesample everyevery 99 yearsyears >> DLDL andand << oneone--halfhalf 11 samplesample everyevery 66 yearsyears MCLMCL >> oneone--halfhalf MCLMCL << MCLMCL 11 samplesample everyevery 33 yearsyears >> MCLMCL 11 samplesample perper quarterquarter untiluntil resultsresults fromfrom 44 consecutiveconsecutive quartersquarters << MCLMCL 20 CalculatingCalculating anan RAARAA toto DetermineDetermine MonitoringMonitoring RequirementsRequirements Ground Water System Monitors for Gross Alpha (MCL 15 pCi/L) Date Result Jan 06 9 Apr 06 13 Jul 06 12 Oct 06 10 Running Annual 11 9 + 13 + 12 + 10 = 11 Average 4 System must collect gross alpha samples from this EPTDS once every 3 years 21 GrossGross AlphaAlpha (GA)(GA) SubstitutionsSubstitutions ¾¾ SubstitutingSubstituting grossgross alphaalpha forfor RaRa--226226 IfIf GAGA is:is: UseUse formula:formula: Determines:Determines: ReducedReduced monitoringmonitoring << DetectDetect 1.51.5 pCi/LpCi/L ++ RaRa 228228 frequencyfrequency (Qtrly,(Qtrly, 3,3, oror 66 yrs)yrs) ComplianceCompliance withwith ≥≥ DetectDetect GAGA resultresult ++ RaRa 228228 226/228226/228 MCLMCL butbut << 55 ReducedReduced monitoringmonitoring frequencyfrequency (Qtrly(Qtrly oror 33 yrs)yrs) 22 GrossGross AlphaAlpha (GA)(GA) Substitutions,Substitutions, cont.cont. ¾ SubstitutingSubstituting grossgross alphaalpha forfor uraniumuranium GAGA resultresult StateState should:should: AssumeAssume allall ofof grossgross ≤≤ 1515 pCi/LpCi/L alphaalpha == uraniumuranium >> 1515 pCi/LpCi/L RequireRequire uraniumuranium samplingsampling && calculatecalculate netnet alphaalpha 23 NetNet AlphaAlpha ¾ GrossGross alphaalpha minusminus uraniumuranium Net Uranium Alpha ¾ LabLab analyzesanalyzes andand reportsreports activityactivity ¾ StatesStates useuse lablab resultsresults OROR convertconvert uranium:uranium: z Convert uranium mass to activity • Multiply by 0.67 pCi/µg z Convert uranium activity to mass • Multiply by 1.49 µg/pCi 24 IncreasedIncreased MonitoringMonitoring ¾¾ResultResult isis >> MCLMCL z SampleSample quarterlyquarterly •• NeedNeed 44 consecutiveconsecutive samplessamples << MCLMCL 25 ViolationsViolations 1. OneOne samplesample resultresult isis >> 44 timestimes thethe MCLMCL 2. OneOne samplesample resultresult causescauses RAARAA toto exceedexceed MCLMCL 3. RAARAA isis >> MCLMCL Violation Examples – System on Quarterly GA Monitoring 1 Q3 Result = 76 pCi/L 2 Q1 = 13 pCi/L, Q2 = 13 pCi/L, Q3 = 14 pCi/L, Q4 = 25 pCi/L 3 Q1 = 12 pCi/L, Q2 = 19 pCi/L, Q3 = 16 pCi/L, Q4 = 16 pCi/L 26 Beta/PhotonBeta/Photon ApplicabilityApplicability ¾¾ StateState discretiondiscretion ¾¾ ““VulnerableVulnerable”” systemssystems z HistoricalHistorical resultsresults z GeologyGeology && locationlocation z NearbyNearby facilitiesfacilities ¾¾ SystemsSystems usingusing ““contaminatedcontaminated”” waterswaters z EffluentsEffluents fromfrom nuclearnuclear facilitiesfacilities 27 Beta/PhotonBeta/Photon EmitterEmitter MonitoringMonitoring QuarterlyQuarterly AnnuallyAnnually VulnerableVulnerable GrossGross SystemsSystems BetaBeta1 TritiumTritium &&