Source of iodine in Philadelphia’s water still unclear

Though officials say the iodine found in Philadelphia’s water isn’t at harmful levels, there is no clear indication of where the radioactive material is coming from.

Iodine-131 was found in the city’s drinking water more than two months ago, but the Environmental Protection Agency Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection and the Philadelphia Water Department have not been able to pinpoint the source, as WHYY’s Carolyn Beeler reports.

Hospitals and nuclear energy plants have been ruled out, but Lisa Daniels of the DEP says there are still more questions than answers about the origin of the substance.