>>Any thoughts on health effects on a rat snake after being exposed to water contaminated with radium? Town supply was found to have higher than normal levels.

Did the town tell you not to drink the water? If not, then don't worry. I think that if the MCL (Maximumn Contaminant Level - EPA standards for human consumption) was exceeded. they would have warned you not to drink the water.

Radium is a natural radioactive element, that occurs in nearly all soil, rock, and groundwater in exstemely small concentrations, and is part of the natural background that everyone is exposed to constantly. Radium is not normally a problem, as it diffuses quickly in air and has a fairly short halflife. It can become a problem in confined spaces where the gas can become concentrated. It can also be a problem in groundwater used for drinking if the water is not properly areated.

The MCL is based on extremely conservative assumptions. That is to say, the EPA first determines what the life time risk is that 1 in 1,000,000 exposed individuals will develope cancer due to exposure at a particular concentration in water. That concentration is then divided by a safety factor of 100. So the calculated risk to humans drinking water containing radium at the level of the standard is 1 in 100,000,000. To put it another way, that's 3 persons out of the entire population of the United States, spread over all their lifetimes.

So, a little over the limit is not something to get wound up about. "Higher then normal" may simply mean that they got a data spike that was above the statistical norm - it dosen't neccessarily mean that the drinking water limit was exceeded or even approached.

If they did warn you not to drink the water there is a small possibility for concern.

There is good reason to believe that reptiles may not be as sensetive to radiation damamge as mammals. Thus you might be more at risk than your ratsnake.

Hope This Helps,

John D
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

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