Radiation

The presence of radionuclides in drinking water is an issue addressed in the Safe Drinking Water Act, which established limits called maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for both gross alpha and gross beta radiation. The MCL for gross alpha is 15 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), while the acceptable level for gross beta is set at 50 pCi/L.

To place the health implications of radionuclides on the human body in perspective, drinking water accounts for less than 1 percent of the radiation to which the average person is exposed.