Dissertation
Characterization of uranium-series radionuclides in Iowa ground-derived drinking water resources
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Summer 2020
DOI: 10.17077/etd.005555
Abstract
Exposure to naturally-occurring radioactive materials (NORM) represents an important carcinogenic risk to the public. While some routes of exposure to NORM are not controllable, exposure via drinking water resources is an important vector that must be mitigated. Regulations have been established for some types of NORM in drinking water, primarily radium and uranium, but other potentially harmful radionuclides, including lead-210 and polonium-210 (radioactive decay products of radium-226), remain poorly understood and completely unregulated. Chapter 1 provides an overview of NORM with a focus on the impact to health posed by naturally-occurring radionuclides, providing important background information on the problem. Chapter 2 describes a novel method for the analysis of lead-210 in water, especially focused on complex matrices. Chapter 3 presents a pilot study of ground-derived drinking water resources in Iowa, focusing on uranium-series radionuclides with a special focus on polonium-210. This thesis addresses and evaluates the prevalence of NORM in Iowa ground-derived drinking water resources, their relationships with one another, the potential risk associated with these substances, and areas for future investigation of NORM in Iowa.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Characterization of uranium-series radionuclides in Iowa ground-derived drinking water resources
- Creators
- Dustin May
- Contributors
- Michael K Schultz (Advisor)R William Field (Committee Member)Tori Z Forbes (Committee Member)Gabriele Ludewig (Committee Member)Daniel McAlister (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Human Toxicology
- Date degree season
- Summer 2020
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.005555
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xiii, 141 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2020 Dustin May
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- illustrations (some color), color maps
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references.
- Public Abstract (ETD)
Exposure to naturally-occurring radioactive materials (NORM) represents an important carcinogenic risk to the public. While some routes of exposure to NORM are not controllable, exposure via drinking water resources is an important vector that must be mitigated. Regulations have been established for some types of NORM in drinking water, primarily radium and uranium, but other potentially harmful radionuclides, including lead-210 and polonium-210 (radioactive decay products of radium-226), remain poorly understood and completely unregulated. This thesis addresses and evaluates the prevalence of NORM in Iowa ground-derived drinking water resources, their relationships with one another, the potential risk associated with these substances, and areas for future investigation of NORM in Iowa. Additionally, this thesis places a special focus on unregulated and poorly understood radionuclides.
- Academic Unit
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology
- Record Identifier
- 9983988197502771
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