Radioactivity is not scary in the way that movies and popular culture depict. Sadly, it is much stealthier and insidious. Radiation can cause irreparable damage to your body that stays hidden for years, or even across generations.

We are exposed to natural radiation in our daily lives (like bananas!). Radioactive particles, or radionuclides, are a part of the natural world–they exist in plants and animals usually as potassium-40 or radium-226.

However, increased exposure to radiation occurs in our water or air when nuclear power plants, mining operations, or laboratories release radioactive materials into the environment.

Radioactivity is “the act of emitting radiation spontaneously.”

“Radiation” refers to any process that emits energy in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles, such as light or sound.When we talk about radioactive particles, we are specifically referring to ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is radiation that causes an atom or molecule to lose electrons and become charged–this charged molecule is called an ion.

An atom can be radioactive when it is unstable and wants to dissipate some of its energy to reach a more stable form. The different “forms” of stable or unstable radioactive elements are called isotopes. We distinguish these radioactive isotopes by their mass, which is attached to the end of the element name, like Uranium-238.

Radioactive particles are present in rocks and soil, which usually serve as the path to enter groundwater. The two types of radioactive particles present in water are alpha and beta particles.

Alpha particles consist of two protons and two neutrons. Common examples in water are radium-226, radon-222, uranium-238, polonium-210, and lead-206. Alpha particles cannot penetrate skin from the outside. However, when consumed, they are active inside your body and can cause damage.

Beta particles are radioactive particles made up of one electron or positron. Common examples in water are strontium-90 and potassium-40. Beta particles can penetrate the top layer of skin and cause burns. Beta particles likely cause more damage inside the body than alpha particles, as they have more energy and are smaller than their alpha counterpart. Subsequently, beta particles can therefore travel farther into body tissue than alpha particles can.

Yes–water can be radioactive.

We are concerned about naturally occurring radiation and additional radioactive particles that enter water from rock formations near mining sites, nuclear power plants, or laboratories.

Radon, in particular, occurs in gaseous form in soils and can dissolve into groundwater or enter homes as a gas through the basement. Exposure to radon in air is far more dangerous than radon in water. However, high levels of radon in drinking water may be indicative of elevated radon in air, and may be cause for concern.

Yes! What’s more is you should test your water because unfortunately, there are no obvious signs of radioactive particles in drinking water.

While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards for radionuclides for public drinking water systems, well water is entirely unregulated. Additionally, well water has a much higher risk for radioactive contamination.

65% of wells tested as part of a national study contained radioactive radon at concentrations about the EPA recommended threshold of 300 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), according to a report conducted by USGS.

Unfortunately, the effects from radioactive particles in water can cause cancer and even be fatal.

While our skin can protect us against alpha particles in the environment, exposure to radiation through water is particularly dangerous because radioactive elements damage tissues and organs.

Radioactive particles cause damage by breaking chemical bonds in molecules that can drastically alter our body’s ability to function. If a group of cells crucial to bodily function dies, the effects can be fatal.

After the bonds of normal cells in the body are broken, they release electrons. This can create a chain reaction that can eventually impact DNA molecules. Mutations are consequent to DNA damage, which lead to cancer. And, if germ (sex) cells are mutated, the cancer can be transmitted to children long after the initial exposure.