

You can not see, smell, taste, or otherwise detect Radium-226 or Radium-228. For those interested in the numbers, a picoCurie is 0.000,000,000,001 (one-trillionth) of a Curie, an international measurement unit of radioactivity." ( Source) "pCi/l= picocuries per liter, the most popular method of reporting radon levels. The EPA MCL level is 5 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), but the MCLG is zero and the EPA confirms it is a carcinogen. What are the Standards for Radium 226 and Radium 228?
#Radium 226 skin
Exposure to radiation from these radium isotopes has also been associated with anemia, skin and blood disorders, osteoporosis and other bone disorders, cataracts, kidney disease, liver disease, and an impaired immune system. What are the Health Risks for Radium 226 and Radium 228?īecause they produce ionizing radiation, Radium 226 and Radium 228 are known carcinogens.
#Radium 226 plus
Radium is the immediate parent of radon gas, so, in addition to the radiation from the decay of the radium, there is the radiation from the decay of the radon it becomes plus the radiation from the radon daughters.

There is also Radium-223 (from U-235) but since there is so little U-235 around, Ra-223 is normally not a problem. The primary isotopes are Radium-226 (from U-238) and Radium-228 (from Th-232). Radium is present in a number of different isotopes. This radiation has been shown to cause bone, liver, and breast cancer in humans and animals. Because of this instability the element decays and releases radiation in the form of alpha (Ra-226) and beta (Ra-228) particles and gamma rays. Radium is a radioactive element all of whose isotopes are unstable. How Do Radium 226 and Radium 228 become a problem? When Thorium-232 (Th-232) decays, it produces Radium 228 that then releases beta particles to produce Actinium-228 (Ac-228) and so on (see Uranium and Thorium Decay Chains in our Water Science Basics section). When Radium-226 decays, it releases alpha particles to form Radon-222 (Rn-222).

#Radium 226 series
Within the decay series of both uranium and thorium, alpha radiation is emitted in the transition between some isotopes and beta and gamma radiation at other steps. Radium is formed in an intermediate step in the radioactive decay series of uranium and thorium which end as a stable isotope of lead. Radium is a naturally-occurring radioactive metal that is present in the Earth's crust and can be found in plant tissue, animal tissue, soil, and bedrock. Get Informed | Radium 226 and Radium 228 What are Radium 226 (Ra-226) and Radium 228 (Ra-228)?
