You are here

Radon in Water

Radon in Water

Federal Guidelines and Proposed Regulations
Average radon levels in community water systems

Radon in Water Quiz

Which is responsible for more deaths in the U.S. each year? 

A) Radon in drinking water     C) Drunk driving
B) Radon in indoor air            D) Fires and drownings

Why do surface-water reservoirs have a low radon concentration?

A) Low-radon materials are use in construction          C) Radon diffuses out the surface into the air
B) Most of the radon is absorbed by the plants          D) They don't have low radon concentrations

How is the solubility of radon in water related to the water temperature? 

A) Increases linearly with temperature                     C) Decreases linearly with temperature
B) Increases logarithmically with temperature           D) Decreases logarithmically with temperature

What approximate percentage of New Yorkers rely on public-water supplies for their drinking water? 

A) 10%            C) 50%
B) 25%            D) 90%

What approximate percentage of New Yorkers rely on groundwater for their drinking water? 

A) 10%            C) 50%
B) 25%            D) 90%

Which type of material is most likely to contain large amounts of groundwater? 

A) Till             C) Clay
B) Bedrock     D) Sand

Which area of New York State has elevated concentrations of radon in the groundwater? 

A) Hudson Highlands    C) Adirondacks
B) Long Island             D) Finger Lakes

Which geology is most often associated with elevated concentrations of radon in the groundwater? 

A) Shale          C) Limestone
B) Sandstone   D) Granite

Which occurs at the highest concentration (picoCurie per Liter; pCi/L) in groundwater in New York? 

A) Radon        C) Uranium
B) Radium      D) Thorium

Which type of system is required to test for radioactivity levels in the drinking water? 

A) Private well             C) Rest stops and campgrounds
B) Community supply   D) Hospital and schools

What are the maximum concentrations of radium (pCi/L) and uranium (ug/L) allowed in community water supplies? 

A) 5 for both                          C) 5 and 30, respectively
B) 5 and 15, respectively        D) 15 for both

What county of New York has the highest radon levels in public water supplies? 

A) Putnam       C) Suffolk
B) Onondaga    D) St. Lawrence

Which water source typically contains the highest concentration of radon?

A) Surface pond         C) Well
B) Ocean                   D) Spring

As a rule of thumb, what concentration of radon in water (pCi/L) will produce 1 pCi/L of indoor radon during normal water use at a home? 

A) 100     B) 1,000     C) 10,000   D) 100,000