“Radium, a mineral that gives off heat and stimulates the organ that a scientist is a fool with” – Ambrose Bierce

Overview

Radium and uranium are naturally occurring radioactive elements that can dissolve into groundwater from surrounding rock and soil. When present in drinking water at elevated levels, these radionuclides pose long-term health risks, including increased cancer risk and potential organ damage due to internal radiation exposure. Unlike aesthetic contaminants, radium and uranium are not detectable by taste, odor, or appearance, making testing and treatment essential.

Pureflow Treatment Technology

Coagulation Filtration

The removal of radium and uranium is achieved through coagulation/filtration. Radium adsorbs onto preformed hydrous manganese oxides (HMO), while uranium adsorbs onto ferric hydroxide floc, with both captured by downstream filtration.Raw water is treated with chlorine for oxidation, followed by ferric salt (if required) for uranium removal and HMO addition for radium removal. The multi-media filter removes the resulting solids and is periodically backwashed using treated water, with less than 2% backwash.

Disposable Media

Radium removal using disposable media occurs through adsorption or ion exchange within a fixed media bed. As water passes through the vessel, radium ions selectively bind to the media or are exchanged onto the resin, removing them from solution. The media is designed with high capacity, so it is used in a single-pass configuration without regeneration. Once the media becomes saturated, it is removed and replaced, with the radium retained on the spent media for disposal.