Subject: TE News v.9 New Radon standards Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 09:33:57 -0600 From: Dennis Helsel To: nawqa_97pc@srv1rvares.er.usgs.gov, nawqa_91pc@srv1rvares.er.usgs.gov, nawqa_94pc@srv1rvares.er.usgs.gov CC: "John S Zogorski, Supervisory Hydrologist, Rapid City, SD" , "Robert J Gilliom, Supv. Hydrologist, Sacramento, CA" , "Jeffrey D Stoner, Supervisory Hydrologist, Denver, CO" , "Carol A Couch, Hydrologist, Norcross, GA" , "Alan H Welch, Hydrologist, Carson City, NV" , "Peter C VanMetre, Hydrologist, Austin, TX" , "Lawrence R Deweese, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Denver, CO" , "David P Krabbenhoft, Research Hydrologist (GeoChem), Middleton, WI" , "Sarah J Ryker, Geographer, Denver, CO" , "Verlin C. (Cory) Stephens, Hydrologist, Denver, CO" , "Timothy L Miller, Chief, NAWQA, Reston, VA" , "William G Wilber, National Synthesis Coordinator, Reston, VA" , "Robert S Williams Jr., Hydrologist-NAWQA Nat'l Synth, Denver, CO" , "Jeffrey T Armbruster, Asst. Reg. Hydr.-NAWQA, Norcross, GA" , "Michael C Yurewicz, Asst. Reg. Hydrol.-NAWQA, Reston, VA" , "Ivan C James II, Asst. Reg. Hydrologist-NAWQA, Denver, CO" , "Marc A Sylvester, Asst. Reg. Hydrologist-NAWQA, Menlo Park, CA" , reg.wqspecs@srv1rvares.er.usgs.gov, WRD.trace.element.interest.gp:;, "Elisabeth A Graffy, Environ Policy Specialist, Reston, VA" Trace Element Synthesis News v.9 Previous TE news blurbs: v.1 Trace Element Synthesis Staffing and plans 2/10/99 v.2 Changes to TE lab methods for bed sediments 2/19/99 v.3 Well Selection for Subunit Surveys 2/26/99 v.4 Mercury in Streambed Sediments 3/04/99 v.5 Radium in Ground Water 4/08/99 v.6 Elements in Sch 2703 6/14/99 v.7 TEs in stream seds across US 8/18/99 v.8 TE Synthesis: Live and Online 10/04/99 New Radon Standards proposed by US EPA US EPA proposed this week a new standard for radon in drinking water of 4000 picoCuries per liter (pC/L). You may remember that the old standard of 300 pC/L was proposed in 1991, then withdrawn in 1997, and that early NAWQA data showed the 300 pC/L level to be violated in more than 50% of samples throughout the Nation. The new standard is based on the view that the primary health risk from radon in water is inhaling radon gas released to the air during bathing, showering, or cooking. It is an adoption of the National Research Council's 1999 recommendations to USEPA. The proposed standard is open for public comment for 60 days, and the regulation is scheduled to be finalized by August 2000. For more information, a link on the Trace Element Synthesis public web page http://co.water.usgs.gov/trace will take you to EPA's news release. Look in our "In the News" section. For the 1994 study units now writing their summary reports, an internal-only summary of NAWQA's radon findings to date will be added to the TE internal page http://co.water.usgs.gov/trace/usgs within two weeks. Currently, you will find summaries of current results for arsenic in groundwater and trace elements in stream sediments on the internal page. We will continue to keep the internal page up to date with links to articles and other info sources you should find useful in interpreting your data. --------------------------------------------------------------- Dennis R. Helsel Ph: (303) 236-2101 x227 Trace Element National Synthesis Fax: (303) 236-4912 U.S. Geological Survey PO Box 25046, MS-415 dhelsel@usgs.gov Denver, CO 80225 http://co.water.usgs.gov/trace