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 PACKAGES: Ontario Drinking Water
Licensed Testing of Radionuclides in Drinking Water
Becquerel Laboratories Inc. is the only commercial laboratory licenced by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for radionuclide analysis. We can provide determinations for the over 70 radionuclides listed in the Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act. We also do testing for other provinces and territories following Federal guidelines - click here for details.
MOE CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL SAMPLES
| Package |
Method |
Detection Limit |
| Radium-226 | |
0.01 Bq/L |
| Tritium |
- Liquid Scintillation Counting
|
15 Bq/L |
| Gross Alpha, Gross Beta & Tritium |
- Gas Flow Proportional Counting
- Liquid Scintillation Counting
|
0.1/0.2 Bq/L
15 Bq/L |
Gross Alpha
Gross Beta |
- Gas Flow Proportional Counting
|
0.1/0.2 Bq/L |
ONTARIO DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS
All water for human consumption in Ontario must be analyzed at a licenced laboratory (unless the water is federally regulated) and there is a surcharge for handling these samples.
| Package |
Method |
Detection Limit |
| Radionuclide Screen for Gross Alpha, Gross Beta & Tritium |
- Gas Flow Proportional Counting
- Liquid Scintillation Counting
|
0.1/0.2 Bq/L
15 Bq/L |
| Gross Alpha, Gross Beta |
- Gas Flow Proportional Counting
|
0.1/0.2 Bq/L |
 MOE Directive RE: Certified Labs for Drinking Water
If screening levels are exceeded, Becquerel can provide recommendations for identification and quantification of the specific radionuclides.
 Ontario Drinking Water Specific Determinations (Click to Collapse)
| Radionuclide |
Method |
Detection Limit |
| Radon-222 | Gamma-Spectrometry | 10 Bq/L |
| Radium-226 | Alpha-Spectrometry | 0.01 Bq/L |
| Tritium | Liq. Scint. Counting | 15 Bq/L |
| Lead-210 | Beta-Counting | 0.2 Bq/L |
| Lead-210 | Beta-Counting | 0.02 Bq/L |
| Polonium-210 | Alpha-Spectrometry | 0.01 Bq/L |
| Radium-224/226 | Alpha-Spectrometry | 0.02 Bq/L |
| Radium-228 | Sep. + Gamma Spec | 0.2 Bq/L |
| Strontium-90 | Beta-Counting | 0.2 Bq/L |
| Thorium Isotopes ( Th-228,Th-230 & Th-232) | Alpha-Spectrometry | 0.01 Bq/L |
| Uranium Isotopes ( U-234, U-235 & U-238) | Alpha-Spectrometry | 0.01 Bq/L |
| Th-232 | Neutron Activation | 0.001 Bq/L |
| U-238 | Neutron Activation | 0.001 Bq/L |
Schedule 3 Ontario Drinking Water Standards - Click to Expand Detail
MACs (Maximum Acceptable Concentrations) of Radionuclides in Drinking Water *From Schedule 3: Radiological standards from Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 - O. Reg. 169/03
| Radiological Parameter |
Max in Bq/L |
Radiological Parameter |
Max in Bq/L |
| Natural Radionuclides |
| Beryllium-7 | 4000 | Thorium-228 | 2 |
| Bismuth -210 | 70 | Thorium-230 | 0.4 |
| Lead-210 | 0.1 | Thorium-232 | 0.1 |
| Polonium-210 | 0.2 | Thorium-234 | 20 |
| Radium-224 | 2 | Uranium-234 | 4 |
| Radium-226 | 0.6 | Uranium-235 | 4 |
| Radium-228 | 0.5 | Uranium-238 | 4 |
| Artificial Radionuclides |
| Americium-241 | 0.2 | Niobium-95 | 200 |
| Antimony-122 | 50 | Phosphorus-32 | 50 |
| Antimony-124 | 40 | Plutonium-238 | 0.3 |
| Antimony-125 | 100 | Plutonium-239 | 0.2 |
| Barium-140 | 40 | Plutonium-240 | 0.2 |
| Bromine-82 | 300 | Plutonium-241 | 10 |
| Calcium-45 | 200 | Rhodium-105 | 300 |
| Calcium-47 | 60 | Rubidium-81 | 3000 |
| Carbon-14 | 200 | Rubidium-86 | 50 |
| Cerium-141 | 100 | Ruthenium-103 | 100 |
| Cerium-144 | 20 | Ruthenium-106 | 10 |
| Cesium-131 | 2000 | Selenium-75 | 70 |
| Cesium-134 | 7 | Silver-108m | 70 |
| Cesium-136 | 50 | Silver-110m | 50 |
| Cesium-137 | 10 | Silver-111 | 70 |
| Chromium-51 | 3000 | Sodium-22 | 50 |
| Cobalt-57 | 40 | Strontium-85 | 300 |
| Cobalt-58 | 20 | Strontium-89 | 40 |
| Cobalt-60 | 2 | Strontium-90 | 5 |
| Gallium-67 | 500 | Sulphur-35 | 500 |
| Gold-198 | 90 | Technetium-99 | 200 |
| Indium-111 | 400 | Technetium-99m | 7000 |
| Iodine-125 | 10 | Tellurium-129m | 40 |
| Iodine-129 | 1 | Tellurium-131m | 40 |
| Iodine-131 | 6 | Tellurium-132 | 40 |
| Iron-55 | 300 | Thallium-201 | 2000 |
| Iron-59 | 40 | Tritium | 7000 |
| Manganese-54 | 200 | Ytterbium-169 | 100 |
| Mercury-197 | 400 | Yttrium-90 | 30 |
| Mercury-203 | 80 | Yttrium-91 | 30 |
| Molybdenum-99 | 70 | Zinc-65 | 40 |
| Neptunium-239 | 100 | Zirconium-95 | 100 |
* Lower detection limits + all other drinking water radioisotopes are available, please inquire
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Testing Drinking Water
"We recommend an inexpensive, initial screening for radioactivity by determining the gross alpha and gross beta activity. This shows the level of radioactivity in the water but not the specific radioisotopes. Health Canada suggests that compliance with the guidelines may be inferred if the measurements for gross alpha and gross beta activity are less than 0.1 Bq/L and 1 Bq/L, respectively, as these are lower than the strictest maximum acceptable concentrations (MACs) (Pb-210 for alpha activity; Sr-90 for beta activity)."
Steve Simpson
President |
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