ALKALINITY and pH
The alkalinity of water may be defined as its capacity to neutralize acid. Alkali substances in water include hydroxides or bases. They can be detected by their acrid taste and by the fact that they cause red litmus paper to turn blue.
Phosphates and silicates are rarely found in natural supplies in concentrations significant in the home. Compounds containing these ions may be used in a variety of water treatment processes. Moderate concentrations of alkalinity are desirable in most water supplies to balance the corrosive effects of acidity. However, excessive quantities cause a number of problems. These ions are, of course, free in the water, but have their counterpart in cations such as calcium, magnesium and sodium or potassium.
You probably will not notice an alkaline condition due to bicarbonate ions except when present in large amounts. In contrast, you should readily detect alkalinity due even to fairly small amounts of carbonate and hydroxide ions.
Strongly alkaline Waters have an objectionable soda taste. The EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations limit alkalinity only in terms of total dissolved solids (500 ppm) and to some extent by the limitation on pH.
Highly mineralized alkaline waters also cause excessive drying of the skin due to the fact that they tend to remove normal skin oils.
Troublesome amounts of alkalinity can be removed by reverse osmosis along with other total dissolved solids. Other methods of water treatment remove total dissolved solids and alkalinity, but they are somewhat less suitable for household use than reverse osmosis. These methods are distillation and deionization (demineralization)
So, what does pH mean for water? Basically, the pH value determines whether water is hard or soft. The pH of pure water is 7. In general, water with a pH lower than 7 is considered acidic, and with a pH greater than 7, basic. The normal range for pH in surface water systems is 6.5 to 8.5 and for groundwater systems 6 to 8.5. Alkalinity is a measure of the capacity of the water to resist a change in pH that would tend to make the water more acidic. The measurement of alkalinity and pH is needed to determine the corrosiveness of the water.
In general, water with a low pH (< 6.5) could be acidic, soft, and corrosive. Therefore, the water could contain metal ions such as iron, manganese, copper, lead, and zinc
or, on other words, elevated levels of toxic metals. This can cause premature damage to metal piping, and have associated aesthetic problems such as a metallic or sour taste, staining of laundry, and the characteristic "blue-green" staining of sinks and drains. More importantly, there are health risks associated with these toxins. The primary way to treat the problem of low pH water is with the use of a neutralizer. The neutralizer feeds a solution into the water to prevent the water from reacting with the household plumbing or contributing to electrolytic corrosion. A typical neutralizing chemical is soda ash. Neutralizing with soda ash, however, increases the sodium content of the water.
Water with a pH > 8.5 could indicate that the water is hard. Hard water does not pose a health risk, but can cause aesthetic problems. These problems include an alkali taste to the water (making that morning coffee taste bitter!), formation of a deposit on dishes, utensils, and laundry basins, difficulty in getting soaps and detergents to lather, and formation of insoluble precipitates on clothing. It can also cause dry skin conditions.
According to a Wilkes University study, because of the association of pH with atmospheric gases and temperature, it is strongly recommended that water samples be tested as soon as possible. The study says that the pH value of the water is not a measure of the strength of the acidic or basic solution, and alone cannot provide a full picture of the characteristics or limitations with the water supply.
Arsenic (As) is not easily dissolved in water. Therefore, if it is found in a water supply, it usually comes from mining or metallurgical operations or from runoff from agricultural areas where materials containing arsenic were used as industrial poisons. Arsenic and phosphate easily substitute for one another chemically, therefore commercial grade phosphate can have some arsenic in it. Arsenic is highly toxic and has been classified by the US EPA as a carcinogen. which was derived from toxicity considerations rather than carcinogenicity.
The current MCL for arsenic is 0.05 mg/l - 0.010 mg/l as of 01/23/06.
Chlorine was first added to a community water system in 1908 in Chicago to remove bacteria and pathogens that cause waterborne disease such as Cholera and Typhoid fever. Prior to chlorination, cities had death tolls of 1 in 1000 people from Typhoid alone. Chlorine has been used to disinfect municipal water for over 80 years and has had positive effects on eradicating Typhoid and other water borne diseases.
In the 1970's it was discovered that chlorine, when added to water, forms Trihalomethanes (chlorinated by-products) by combining with certain naturally occurring organic matter such as vegetation and algae. When looking at your water report be sure to look for trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, another by-product of chlorination.
In an effort to reduce these chlorine by-products some cities are switching to chloramine, a combination of chlorine and ammonia. Unfortunately chloramines are harder to remove and a University of Illinois study has discovered even more potent by-products.
In 1992 the American Journal of Public Health published a report that showed a 15% to 35% increase in certain types of cancer for people who consume chlorinated water. This report also stated that much of these effects were due to showering in chlorinated water. Up to half of your chlorine consumption in a day is in the shower.
The National Cancer Institute estimates cancer risks for people who consume chlorinated water to be up to 93% higher than for people who do not. The effects of consuming chlorinated water have been debated for decades. However, most experts now agree that there are some significant risks related to consuming chlorine and chlorinated by-products in drinking water.
There's no question that our public water supplies must be disinfected, but it's also clear that we need to remove these chemicals before we consume them in our homes.
Levels of copper found naturally in ground water and surface water are generally very low; about 4 micrograms of copper in one liter of water (4 ug/1) or less. However, drinking water may contain higher levels of a dissolved form of copper.
High levels of copper occur if corrosive water comes in contact with copper plumbing and copper-containing fixtures in the water distribution system. If corrosive water remains motionless in the plumbing system for six hours or more, copper levels may exceed 1,000 ug/l. The level of copper in drinking water increases with the corrosivity of the water and the length of time it remains in contact with the plumbing.
Copper in our diet is necessary for good health. You eat and drink about 1,000 micrograms (1,000 ug) of copper per day. Drinking water normally contributes approximately 150 ug/day. Immediate effects from drinking water which contains elevated levels of copper include; vomiting , diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea
The seriousness of these effects can be expected to increase with increased copper levels or length of exposure. Copper above 1.3 ppm can poison red blood cells, causing jaundice, pancreatitis and hemolytic anemia.
An insidious hoax perpetrated upon the public by overzealous chemical manufacturers who conspired with the people who are supposed to be looking out for our interests ,to dump their chemical waste into our water supply, Very few dentists who promote fluoridation are aware that the fluoride in public water supplies is not a pharmaceutical grade product. It is in fact industrial waste. It's the waste from the Florida phosphate industry. In the 1950s the Florida phosphate industry was being sued by farmers and citizens living near those plants because the fluoride was killing their cattle... destroying their crops. It is said that the Florida phosphate industry today is avoiding having to dispose of it's industrial effluent in a toxic waste dump by shipping it in tanker trucks around the country and dumping it in our water supply."
The EPA standard for the level of fluoride in drinking water is 2.2 ppm but you might want to make up your own mind about fluoride by taking a look at an alternative source of independent research.
We call water "hard" if it contains a lot of calcium or magnesium dissolved in it. Hard water causes two problems:
It can cause "scale" to form on the inside of pipes, water heaters, tea kettles and so on. The calcium and magnesium precipitate out of the water and stick to things. The scale doesn't conduct heat well and it also reduces the flow through pipes. Eventually, pipes can become completely clogged.
It reacts with soap to form a sticky scum, and also reduces the soap's ability to lather. Since most of us like to wash with soap, hard water makes a bath or shower less productive.
The solution to hard water is to use a water softener of some type
Iron is one of the earth's most plentiful resources, making up at least five percent of the earth's crust. Rainfall seeping through the soil dissolves iron in the earth's surface and carries it into almost every kind of natural water supply, including well water. Although iron is present in our water, it is seldom found at concentrations greater than 10 milligrams per liter (mg/1) or 10 parts per million (ppm).
Health and Water Quality related to iron:
Iron is not considered hazardous to health. In fact, iron is essential for good health because it transports oxygen in your blood. In the United States, most tap water probably supplies less than 5 percent of the dietary requirement for iron.
Under Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rules, iron is considered a secondary or "aesthetic" contaminant. The present recommended limit for iron in water, 0.3 mg/I (ppm), is based on taste and appearance rather than on any detrimental health effect. Private water supplies are not subject to the rules, but the guidelines can be used to evaluate water quality.
For instance, when the level of iron in water exceeds the 0.3 mg/l limit, we experience red, brown, or yellow staining of laundry, glassware, dishes. and household fixtures such as bathtubs and sinks. The water may also have a metallic taste and an offensive odor. Water system piping and fixtures can also become restricted or clogged.
Lead, a metal found in natural deposits, is commonly used in household plumbing materials and water service lines. Lead in drinking water can also cause a variety of adverse health effects. In babies and children, Exposure to lead in drinking water above the action level can result in delays in physical and mental development, along with slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. In adults, it can cause increases in blood pressure. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.
Lead is rarely found in source water, but enters tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and solder. However, new homes are also at risk: even legally lead-free plumbing may contain up to 8 percent lead. The most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures which can leach significant amounts of lead into the water, especially hot water
States issued warnings for mercury and other pollutants in 2003 for nearly 850,000 miles of U.S. rivers ? a 65% increase over 2002 ? and 14 million acres of lakes. The warning level is the highest ever reported by the EPA. It is partly a result of states taking a more aggressive role in monitoring for mercury, according to environmental officials. The problem is getting worse and each year the earth comes closer to reaching a saturation point where the entire situation will seriously deteriorate. The huge tonnage of mercury put into the environment each day is adding to an already critical situation. Considering that mercury is an accumulative poison with delayed effects or a lag time measured in years, we can see that humanity has created a time bomb that is ticking while even more mercury is added. Ignorance of mercury?s toxicity has led us as individuals and as a society into dangerous waters and collectively it threatens us with premature death and years of chronic illness.
All of these increases that involve the sea are mirrored on land. Drinking water is a good place to see the extent of the disaster in the making. The EPA reports that mercury levels in tap drinking water in the United States ranges anywhere between 0.3 to 25 ng/L (NJDEPE 1993) but some wells were tested up to and exceeding 2000 ng/L (Dooley 1992). In general Mercury measured in surface fresh water around the world ranged from 0.04 to 74 ng/L in lakes and 1-7 ng/L in rivers and streams (NJDEPE 1993). These are all old numbers and it is anyone?s guess as to current concentrations in water supplies. Mercury from air and soil provides the main source of mercury to water bodies and fish. Mercury is very slowly removed from soil, and long after anthropogenic emissions are reduced, soil and water concentrations can be expected to remain elevated.
All of this tells us there is mercury in the water, not just the ocean but in the glass you drink possibly, certainly in all the rivers, lakes and streams. It is the toxin in the environment that we must be most concerned about for it is the most toxic. Mercury is building up all around us and we have to protect ourselves and our loved ones from it as much as possible. It is not enough just to avoid the mercury using dentists nor the thimerosal using doctors. We got to take it out of our water. To filter out everything but the mercury, the most toxic substance, would be more than foolish
n 1974, the EPA established the Safe Drinking Water Act that set specific guidelines on contaminants that are commonly found in drinking water. However, it was not until 1992 that mercury, in particular, became regulated. Both the Maximum Contaminant Level Goal and the Maximum Contaminant Level were set at 2 parts per billion because current technology allows public water suppliers to detect and remove mercury levels that low. The monitoring of mercury levels must take place every three months if the level is higher than the set guideline and specific measures must be taken to reduce these levels if they are exceeded persistently.
Approved methods of removing mercury from the drinking water supply are the following: Coagulation/Filtration, Granular Activated Carbon, Lime softening and Reverse osmosis.
Nitrate and Nitrite both are nitrogen-based chemicals which occur naturally in water, soil, plants and food. Nitrate and Nitrite are found more commonly in ground water than in surface water, and are two of the more commonly detected well water contaminants.
Principle sources of nitrate or nitrite contamination are fertilizers, septic tank waste, livestock manure, and erosion of natural deposits. The most vulnerable wells are those in farm communities or areas with large numbers of aging septic tanks.
What are the health effects of Nitrate and Nitrite?
Ingestion of water containing high nitrate or nitrite concentrations can be fatal to infants. When ingested, nitrate is converted to nitrite by bacteria in saliva and in the digestive tract. In babies, this process can interfere with the ability of the childs blood to carry oxygen, which can lead to a blood disorder called methemoglobinemia or blue baby syndrome. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-tinged skin. Water containing nitrate or nitrite should not be used to prepare food or formula for infants.
Nitrate and nitrite are rarely a problem for people older than six months. However, some individuals are more susceptible to health problems from nitrate or nitrite, due to certain health conditions. These include: Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, as some studies have shown an increased risk of spontaneous abortion or birth defects. Persons without sufficient stomach acids to metabolize and excrete nitrate or nitrite.
Persons who lack the enzyme, methemoglobin reductase, which converts affected red blood cells back to normal. In addition, long term exposure to nitrate and nitrite can lead to diuresis, starchy deposits, and hemorrhaging of the spleen.
EPAs maximum limit for nitrate in drinking water is 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L), or 10 parts per million (ppm); for nitrite the limit is 1 ppm.
In addition, the sum of the amount of nitrate and nitrite in drinking water should not total more than 10 ppm. For example, if the nitrate level of your well is 10 ppm and the nitrite level is 1 ppm, the total nitrate/ nitrite level is 11 ppm, which exceeds the maximum safe limit set by the EPA and should be treated.
Contaminant - EPA Limit
Nitrate - 10 parts per million
Nitrite - 1 part per million
Total (Nitrate + Nitrite) - 10 parts per million
You should test for nitrate and nitrite yearly, as their levels can fluctuate over time. In addition, if the initial test reflects nitrate levels of more than 5 parts per million, or nitrite levels of greater than 0.5 parts per million (50 percent of the EPAs maximum limit), the EPA recommends that you test your water every 3 months to see if the level is increasing.
What are the treatments for Nitrate and Nitrite in drinking water?
Three treatments to reduce nitrate and nitrite include ion exchange, electrodialysis and reverse osmosis processes. Distillation may also be used for smaller quantities of water.
Boiling your water WILL NOT remove nitrate or nitrite, but in fact will increase their concentration in your water due to evaporation during heating
Sulfate (SO4) can be found in almost all natural water. The origin of most sulfate compounds is the oxidation of sulfite ores, the presence of shales, or industrial waste.
Sulfate is one of the major dissolved components of rain. High concentrations of sulfate in the water we drink can have a laxative effect when combined with calcium and magnesium, the two most common constituents of hardness. Bacteria, which attack and reduce sulfates, form hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S).
Health risks of drinking water with high sulfate levels
People not used to drinking water with high levels of sulfate can experience dehydration and diarrhea. Kids are often more sensitive to sulfate than adults. Older children and adults become used to high sulfate levels after a few days
The maximum level of sulfate suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, set up in Geneva, 1993, is 500 mg/l. EU standards are more recent, complete and strict than the WHO standards, suggesting a maximum of 250 mg/l of sulfate in water intended for human consumption.
Is sulfate dangerous for animals?
Animals are also sensitive to high levels of sulfate. In young animals, high levels may cause severe, chronic diarrhea, and in some cases, death. As with humans, animals tend to become used to sulfate over time. Diluting water high in sulfate with water low in sulfate can help avoid problems of diarrhea and dehydration in young animals and animals not used to drinking high sulfate water. The proportion of water high in sulfate to water low in sulfate can be progressively increased until the animals can admit the high sulfate water. Contact your local veterinary for more information.
Other problems caused by sulfate
Sulfate gives a bitter or medicinal taste to water if it exceeds a concentration of 250 mg/l. This may make it unpleasant to drink the water. High sulfate levels may also be corrosive for plumbing, particularly copper piping. In areas with high sulfate levels, it is common to use corrosion resistant plumbing materials, such as plastic pipe.
How to remove the sulfate from your water
There are three types of treatment systems that will remove sulfate from your drinking water: reverse osmosis, distillation, or ion exchange. Carbon filters, water softeners and sediment filters will not remove sulfate. Water softeners exclusively change magnesium or calcium sulfate into sodium sulfate, which is more laxative.
Tannins (humic acid) are found in waters which have passed through large quantities of decaying vegetation. Tannins can cause yellow water and yellow staining on fabrics and fixtures.
The fact is that bottled water sold in the United States is not always filtered and not necessarily cleaner or safer than most tap water, according to a four-year scientific study recently made public by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The NRDC's study included testing of more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of bottled water. While most of the tested waters were found to be of high quality, some brands were significantly contaminated.
About one-third of the waters tested contained levels of contamination including synthetic organic chemicals, bacteria, and arsenic (at least one sample exceeded allowable limits under either state or bottled water industry standards or guidelines).
In fact, about a quarter of all bottled water is actually bottled tap water, according to government and industry estimates (some estimates go as high as 40 percent).
A good water filter is the best and maybe the only solution nowadays. You can install and maintain the filters yourself and can ensure and feel safe about the water which you and your family drink. Just make sure the filter you choose removes the most spectrum of contaminants. There are a variety of individual specific types of filters listed elsewhere on this website. Usually a professional filtration system worth investing in is a 4 to 5 stage water purifier system made up of several of these individual types assembled in series. Each stage will remove certain types of contaminants, and all stages combined should protect you from just about every contaminant
