- Nevada State Health Division Polonium Information Sheet [External Link]
- Polonium Fact Sheet [PDF, 24KB]
- Polonium Frequently Asked Questions [PDF, 28KB]
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration Questions and Answers: Polonium [External Link]
- U.S. Geological Survey Press Release [External Link]
Lahontan Valley is a residential area of Fallon, Churchill County, Nevada. From 1997-2002 sixteen cases of acute childhood lymphatic leukemia were diagnosed in children who resided or previously resided in Lahontan Valley. In 2001, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) sampled 100 domestic and public supply wells in Lahontan Valley in support of an investigation of the cancer cluster by the CDC.
During this investigation, it was discovered that gross alpha radioactivity in numerous domestic wells was substantially higher than could be explained by the presence of uranium.
As part of a new study in 2007, the USGS sampled drinking water wells (24 private wells and one public well) in the Lahontan Valley for Polonium-210 and found that concentrations in some wells were five times the maximum contaminant level used by the EPA. These levels were some of the highest ever reported for the US.
Polonium-210 is a substance known to cause cancer in humans. Because of the possible health risk to the owners of the sampled wells, the USGS will be sending a brief letter and lab results to the individual well owners as soon as the data has received QA/QC clearance.
Additional Information
