ABSTRACT
Radium has been studied extensively since its discovery by Pierre and Marie Curie in 1898. The hazards from radium-226 have been well documented from its use as a dial illuminator. The BEIR (Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation) Reports I and II have considered it as a natural occurring hazard.1•2 Earlier the Atomic Energy Commission (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) 3 limits had been cited, and recently the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set proposed limits for both radium-226 and radium-228 in drinking water called Interim Regulations. 4 The Federal Radiation Council (FRC) Report No. 2 set limits for ingestion in the general population in 1961.5 A permanent limit for radium-226 and -228 is expected in 1992.
