title: Strontium concentrations in corrosion products from residential drinking water distribution systems.
abstract: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) will require some U.S. drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) to monitor nonradioactive strontium (Sr(2+)) in drinking water in 2013. Iron corrosion products from four DWDS were examined to assess the potential for Sr(2+) binding and release. Average Sr(2+) concentrations in the outermost layer of the corrosion products ranged from 3 to 54 mg kg(-1) and the Sr(2+) drinking water concentrations were all ≤0.3 mg L(-1). Micro-X-ray adsorption near edge structure spectroscopy and linear combination fitting determined that Sr(2+) was principally associated with CaCO3. Sr(2+) was also detected as a surface complex associated with α-FeOOH. Iron particulates deposited on a filter inside a home had an average Sr(2+) concentration of 40.3 mg kg(-1) and the associated drinking water at a tap was 210 μg L(-1). The data suggest that elevated Sr(2+) concentrations may be associated with iron corrosion products that, if disturbed, could increase Sr(2+) concentrations above the 0.3 μg L(-1) US EPA reporting threshold. Disassociation of very small particulates could result in drinking water Sr(2+) concentrations that exceed the US EPA health reference limit (4.20 mg kg(-1) body weight).
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0013, United States. Tammie.Gerke@uc.edu
authors.forename: Tammie L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Gerke
authors.forename: Brenda J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: Todd P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Luxton
authors.forename: Kirk G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Scheckel
authors.forename: J Barry
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Maynard
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D003343:Corrosion; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D013324:Strontium / Q000032:analysis*; D056928:X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D007501:Iron; D013324:Strontium