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MOST COMMON WATER CONTAMINANTS
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( Its SOURCES and METHOD OF TREATMENT) |
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Source - Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) is a gas which imparts its "rotten egg" SULFIDE odor to water supplies. Such waters are distasteful for drinking purposes and processes in practically all industries. Most sulfur waters contain from 1 to 5 ppm of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide can interfere with readings obtained from water samples. It turns hardness and pH tests gray, and makes iron tests inaccurate. Chlorine bleach should be added to eliminate the H2S odor; then the hardness, pH and iron tests can be done. Hydrogen sulfide can not be tested in a lab, it must be done in the field. Hydrogen sulfide is corrosive to plumbing fixtures even at low concentrations. H2S fumes will blacken or darken painted surfaces, giving them a "smoked" appearance. |
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Treatment - - H2S requires chlorine to be fed in sufficient quantities to eliminate it, while leaving a residual in the water (3 ppm of chlorine is required for each ppm of hydrogen sulfide). Activated carbon filtration may then be installed to remove the excess chlorine. |
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IRON |
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Source – Iron occurs naturally in ground waters in three forms, Ferrous Iron (clear water iron) is ferrous bicarbonate, Ferric Iron (red water iron) or ferric hydroxide is visible in the water and Heme Iron (organic iron). Is organically bound iron complexed with decomposed vegetation.
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(Ammonia is not found in well water supplies because the bacteria in the soil converts its nitrates ) |
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Treatment –Ferrous iron (clear water iron) can be removed with a softener provided it is less than 0.5 ppm for each grain of hardness and the pH of the water is greater than 6.8. If the ferrous iron is more than 5.0 ppm, it must be converted to ferric iron by contact with a oxidizing agent such as chlorine, before it can be removed by mechanical filtration. Ferric iron (red water iron) can simply be removed by mechanical filtration. Heme iron can be removed by an organic scavenger anion resin, or by oxidation with chlorine followed by mechanical filtration. Oxidizing agents such as chlorine will also kill iron bacteria if it is present.
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LEAD |
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Source – Lead (Pb+2) found in fresh water usually indicates contamination from metallurgical wastes or from lead-containing industrial poisons. Lead in drinking water is primarily from the corrosion of the lead solder used to put together the copper piping. |
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Treatment – Lead can be reduced considerably with a water softener. Activated carbon filtration can also reduce lead to a certain extent. Reverse Osmosis can remove 94 to 98 % of the lead in drinking water at the point-of-use. Distillation will also remove the lead from drinking water . |
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MAGNESIUM |
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Source – Magnesium is found in many minerals, including dolomite, magnesite, and many types of clay. It is in abundance in sea water where its' concentration is five (5) times the amount of calcium. |
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Treatment – Magnesium may be reduced to less than 1 mg/l with the use of a softener or cation exchanger in hydrogen form. |
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