Radium (226 + 228) in New Jersey well water
In New Jersey, 7% of 1,518 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for radium (226 + 228) (5 pCi/L).
Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive metal in bedrock. It accumulates in bone and raises the risk of bone cancer. It occurs in the same granite areas as uranium and radon.
Check your radium (226 + 228) number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Getting it fixed
Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company, or see the treatment guide for what removes radium (226 + 228).
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (5 pCi/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Samples | Detected | Above EPA limit | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 46 | 80% | 17% | 2 | 17 pCi/L |
| Cumberland | 244 | 95% | 12% | 2.55 | 14 pCi/L |
| Camden | 157 | 95% | 11% | 2 | 18.5 pCi/L |
| Salem | 81 | 80% | 9% | 0.97 | 13 pCi/L |
| Burlington | 77 | 88% | 8% | 1.05 | 16.3 pCi/L |
| Gloucester | 287 | 92% | 7% | 1.5 | 67.2 pCi/L |
| Hunterdon | 82 | 65% | 6% | 0 | 51 pCi/L |
| Atlantic | 114 | 90% | 5% | 0.785 | 21.8 pCi/L |
| Sussex | 49 | 94% | 4% | 0.171 | 26 pCi/L |
| Bergen | 38 | 37% | 3% | 0 | 6 pCi/L |
| Mercer | 52 | 54% | 2% | 0 | 39 pCi/L |
| Ocean | 169 | 86% | 0% | 0.95 | 3.2 pCi/L |
- Upper Deerfield township, Cumberland County19% of 81
- Franklin township, Gloucester County13% of 31
- Vineland, Cumberland County12% of 76
- Winslow township, Camden County11% of 70
- Gloucester township, Camden County11% of 37
- Monroe township, Gloucester County9% of 88
- Washington township, Gloucester County5% of 95
- West Amwell township, Hunterdon County5% of 57
- Toms River township, Ocean County0% of 54
- Manchester township, Ocean County0% of 38
- Upper Pittsgrove township, Salem County0% of 37
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. radium (226 + 228) counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.