Radium, combined (-226 & -228)
EPA MCLG
0 pCi/L
EPA's health goal is zero — no known safe level of exposure. This is a goal, not an enforceable limit.
Health Effects
Increased risk of cancer
Source: EPA — National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (retrieved 2026-07-27)
Common Sources
- Erosion of natural deposits
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The EPA MCLG for Radium, combined (-226 & -228) is 0 pCi/L. Upload your water test (PDF or a photo) and we'll email a plain-English reading of where your result lands — and every other number — free. Educational only, no medical claims.
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Upload my testHow to Remove Radium, combined (-226 & -228)
How do I get rid of Radium, combined (-226 & -228) in drinking water?
For Radium, combined (-226 & -228), the verified treatments are ion-exchange softening and reverse osmosis. Ion-exchange softening is a primary treatment. Cation-exchange softening removes radium along with hardness; capacity is consumed by hardness. Reverse osmosis is a primary treatment.
Source: EPA 40 CFR 141.66 BAT (Radium — ion exchange) / NSF/ANSI 44; EPA 40 CFR 141.66 BAT (Radium — reverse osmosis)
What filter certification covers Radium, combined (-226 & -228)?
Ion-exchange softening is certified under NSF/ANSI 44. Reverse osmosis is certified under NSF/ANSI 58. Check that the certification listing names Radium, combined (-226 & -228) or its group: a certification to a standard is not a certification for every contaminant in it.
Source: EPA 40 CFR 141.66 BAT (Radium — ion exchange) / NSF/ANSI 44; EPA 40 CFR 141.66 BAT (Radium — reverse osmosis)
Does a basic water filter pitcher remove Radium, combined (-226 & -228)?
No. For Radium, combined (-226 & -228), the verified treatments are ion-exchange softening and reverse osmosis — and a basic pitcher is an activated-carbon device, which is not on that list. No pitcher in our index carries a certification for Radium, combined (-226 & -228), so the jug in the fridge is not the answer here.
Source: EPA 40 CFR 141.66 BAT (Radium — ion exchange) / NSF/ANSI 44; EPA 40 CFR 141.66 BAT (Radium — reverse osmosis)
Does boiling water remove Radium, combined (-226 & -228)?
No — boiling makes it worse. Radium, combined (-226 & -228) is non-volatile and dissolved: the water leaves as steam and it stays behind, so boiling concentrates it in what remains instead of removing it. For Radium, combined (-226 & -228), the verified treatments are ion-exchange softening and reverse osmosis; no thermal method appears in the corpus at all.
Source: EPA 40 CFR 141.66 BAT for radionuclides (reverse osmosis, ion exchange, anion exchange — no thermal method), plus the physical basis that these are non-volatile dissolved solids
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Is Radium, combined (-226 & -228) in your water?
Radium, combined (-226 & -228) has been recorded above its health guideline in 1,725 cities, serving 34.6M people. Each system below was judged against a goal of 0 pCi/L.
Most affected systems, by population served
- Los Angeles, CA3,868,811 people served0.42 pCi/Lgoal 0 pCi/L
- Chicago, IL2,746,388 people served0.95 pCi/Lgoal 0 pCi/L
- Houston, TX2,202,531 people served1.46 pCi/Lgoal 0 pCi/L
- Sandy Oaks, TX1,999,472 people served1 pCi/Lgoal 0 pCi/L
- Windcrest, TX1,999,472 people served1 pCi/Lgoal 0 pCi/L
- Hollywood Park, TX1,999,472 people served1 pCi/Lgoal 0 pCi/L
- Castle Hills, TX1,999,472 people served1 pCi/Lgoal 0 pCi/L
- Grey Forest, TX1,999,472 people served1 pCi/Lgoal 0 pCi/L
- China Grove, TX1,999,472 people served1 pCi/Lgoal 0 pCi/L
- Balcones Heights, TX1,999,472 people served1 pCi/Lgoal 0 pCi/L
and 1,715 more cities with a recorded result above the guideline
These are the largest systems that reported a result above the guideline — not the highest results. A city missing from this list has not been shown to be clean: it may have no Radium, combined (-226 & -228) result on file at all. We publish a level only where a system reported one.
Check your city or ZIP code for Radium, combined (-226 & -228)
Part of a group: radiological contaminants
This contaminant is rarely measured on its own. Radiological contaminants in drinking water covers the whole group — what they are, which limits are enforceable, and where they come from.
Others in this group
About the EPA MCLG
The EPA MCLG is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. It is a non-enforceable public health goal, and is often stricter than the legal limit (MCL) water systems must meet.
Contaminant Type
Radium, combined (-226 & -228) is classified as a Radionuclides contaminant.
Related Radionuclides Contaminants
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