The Removal Of Radium And Uranium From Drinking Water Supplies

By Pureflow Filtration Division

This bulletin is offered to provide the reader with general information on the occurrence of Radium and Uranium in nature, with special emphasis on their effects in potable water, and the various unit processes available for their removal.

Radium 226 (²²⁶Ra) is the predominan Radium isotope, accounting for 99% of Radium's occurrence on earth, and is a decomposition product of Uranium 238. Radium 226 is always found with that metal to the extent of about one part in three million (by weight). The parent element of Radium 228 (²²⁸Ra), which represents much less than 1% of the Radium occurrence on earth, is Thorium 232. Radium 228 is present only if Thorium is present.