Contaminants in Drinking Water

Contaminants can find their ways to drinking water supplies by various human and natural activities. Human activities include street litters, failed septic systems, sanitary sewer overflows, combined sewer overflows, agricultural runoffs, also taste and odor. Natural activities can include dissolved organics, rocks, and dirty rain. Contaminants found in some drinking water can include lead, mercury, iron, asbestos radon, pesticides and several other hazardous chemicals. The good news is there is a solution to removing these contaminants from drinking water. However, knowing the type of pollutants in your drinking water will guide you in the selection of effective water filters. In the absence of a clear knowledge of what’s in your water, it is best to test the water to know which pollutants or contaminants to be removed. Water filters are available in different sizes and brands. You can get the best water filter that will give you a refreshing taste. Some are designed to filter water for the whole house while some are designed to be use at faucets, shower heads, and in carafes. If your water is hard, that is you are soap will not lather, you may need a water softener. The major contaminants that cause hardness are calcium and magesium. Water softener will remove calcium and magnesium that cause ware to be hard. Hard water can form scales in pipes and water heaters which can result in expensive repairs. The following are just a few of the hundreds of known water contaminants and the likely contaminants removal options: Contaminants Sources and Health Effects Likely Removal Options* Taste and Odor May be from domestic, natural, or agricultural sources. Chlorine residuals or by-products gives water an unpleasant taste.  While not necessarily harmful, taste and odor may cause undesirable feelings in your drinking water. Distillation, Reverse Osmosis Turbidity Caused by suspended matters such as clay, silt, and small organic materials giving a cloudy or muddy appearance to your water.  Other sources can be inorganic materials like sediments and iron oxides. Activated Carbon, mechanical filters used as prefilters., Ion Exchange Sediment Objectionable solid particles that will settle at the bottom of a water container over a period of time leaving clear water at the top layer. Activated Carbon, Cartridge sediment filters. Point-of-Use filtration. Lead A body exposure to lead for a long period of time is dangerous to your health. Even a prolonged exposure to a low concentration is unhealthy. Common sources are corrosion in plumbing fixture installation before late 1980's, soldering materials, contact with lead-painted roofs. Lead has been found to   occur in drinking water primarily due to leaching to water from either old or new pipes, or lead-based solders being used in copper pipes and in faucets. Exposure to lead can cause learning deficiencies in children and, in many cases, hypertension in adults. Activated Carbon, Reverse Osmosis, Distillation Manganese Effects of the presence of manganese can be both economic and aesthetic, and physiologic. This contaminant produces a brownish water color not good for your laundry, and bad tastes in beverages. Activated Carbon, Reverse Osmosis, Distillation Arsenic This is a naturally occurring element present in some soils and rocks. Erosion of rock surfaces to water supplies can result in arsenic contaminations. Nearby well water can be contaminated with high level of arsenic. The organic form of arsenic is less toxic than the inorganic form. Organic form of arsenic is naturally present in most of our dietary supplements and is less toxic. However, the inorganic arsenic, absorbed in excessive form or ingested over a lifetime, can cause lungs and skin cancers. This contaminant can also cause gastrointestinal (GI) damage, and cardiac damage. Activated Carbon, Reverse Osmosis, Distillation Asbestos Occurs in drinking water in natural form, asbestos-cement water piping systems, insulation materials, and in other building materials. Asbestos has been linked to lung and GI cancer in humans. Activated Carbon, Reverse Osmosis Pesticides Pesticides are used in agricultural lands, forests, recreational areas and lawns and gardens. Pesticides can leach into the soil and eventually contaminate groundwater. Excessive use of fertilizers can pollute drinking water sources especially well water. There are numerous health effects of pesticides especially cancers. Activated Carbon Filter, Reverse Osmosis, Distillation Point-of-Use Filtration Zinc Naturally formed chemicals especially where mining operations the deposits mineral ore have taken place. Well water can be exposed to this chemical that is very harmful to healthy living. Activated Carbon, Reverse Osmosis Total Coliform Bacteria Fecal Coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Disease-causing microbes (pathogens) in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. These pathogens may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems. Sediment Filtration, Activated Carbon   Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) (PDF, 29K) Organic pollutants are chemicals that are made up primarily of carbon and hydrogen atoms and smaller amounts of various other atoms such as chlorine, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus. VOCs can be found in paints, coatings, underarm deodorant, and cleaning fluids. They contribute to the level of ozone, a common air pollutant which has been proven to be a public health hazard. More than 80 VOCs are regulated by the USEPA - and are listed on their website - and 70,000 chemicals in commercial use. Exposure to a high level VOCs can cause different kind of cancers and organ damage. Activated Carbon, Distilation. Point-of-Use Filtration Trihalomethane THM compounds are found in chlorinated drinking water supplies. They are typically the by-products of chlorine in disinfection treatment systems. THM compounds are formed during interaction between chlorine and organic compounds in water supply. Water discoloration and poor taste are indications of the presence of THMs. The likely health effects when ingested in drinking water are liver, kidney or central nervous system problems, and increased risk of cancer. Activated Carbon Filter, Point-of-Use or Point-of-Entry filtration devices Cryptosporidium, Giardia These are water borne pathogenic bacteria know to cause various human illnesses. Cryptosporidium symptoms include acute diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and mild fever. Giardia symptoms include diarrhea, fatigue, and cramps. These organisms are very resistant to chlorine disinfections; hence, a well designed water filtration system has shown to be effective for removing these organisms. Caution: Not all home water filters or inline water filters will remove cryptosporidium. According the Center for Disease Control (CDC), some reverse osmosis water filters will protect against cryptosporidium. CDC recommends that consumers should "look for a filter that has a pore size of 1 micron or less. This will remove microbes 1 micron or greater in diameter (Cryptosporidium, Giardia). There are two types of these - "absolute 1 micron" filters and "nominal 1 micron" filters. The absolute 1 micron filter will more consistently remove Cryptosporidium than a nominal filter. Some nominal 1 micron filters will allow 20% to 30% of 1 micron particles to pass through". Reverse Osmosis, Activated Carbon Filter labeled as NSF Standard 53 or NSF Standard 58 Radon Radon need to be considered especially if you suspect that your drinking water system has come in contact any radioactive materials. Low dose exposure to these materials harmful and should be avoided. Natural radioactive materials can be found in water, food, and air. Radium can be found in well water supplies. They are known cancer causing substances in humans. Activated Carbon Filter Hardness Water hardness is caused by the presence of calcium and magnesium in water. Water is considered hard when it contains more than 75mg/l of particles. There two types of hardness: temporary hardness and permanent hardness. Temporary hardness can be removed by boiling the water. Permanent hardness can only be removed by other processes. Hard water affects the cleaning action of soaps and detergents resulting in costly and extra laundry works. When heated, hard water deposits scales in cooking materials. This water quality problem is caused by dissolved calcium and magnesium salts and may cause temporary or permanent hardness or scaling in pipes and hot water heaters, plumbing fixtures. Water softener, Reverse Osmosis *Contaminants removal efficiency will depends on the manufacturer's recommendations.

How to remove lead in drinking water
Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful if inhaled or swallowed. Medical information says that a body exposure to lead for a long period of time is dangerous to your health. Even a prolonged exposure to a low concentration is unhealthy. Exposure to lead can cause learning deficiencies in children and, in many cases, hypertension in adults.

Radionuclides Water Contamination
Radionuclide contamination of drinking water is not much talked about and do not receive as attentions as pharmaceutical drugs in water. Although these naturally occurring contaminants are believed to be present in low concentration in drinking water systems, EPA says long-term exposures to radionuclides from drinking water can result in the increased risk of cancer or kidney problems.