Test For Things 'A to Z' » Arsenic

Summary of NSF Water Filter Standards

Water Testing Blog — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:03:20 +0000

If we had a nickel for every single time someone asked us what NSF 42, 44, 53, 55, 58, 62 and 177 meant… we’d have a huge pile of nickels and STILL not have enough money for that diamond-plated, gold-encrusted, platinum embossed drinking fountain w/ the GIANT water purification FACTORY attached to it from the other side of the wall.

NSF/ANSI Standard 42: Drinking water filtration systems that are certified to this standard remove chlorine and sediment/particles from water for the purpose of improving its look, smell and taste. The design of these filter do NOT lend themselves to the removal or reduction of health-related contaminants.

NSF/ANSI Standard 44: Water treatment systems certified to this standard typically function as cation exchange water softeners designed to reduce or eliminate water hardness (i.e. calcium and/or magnesium). Water filters designed to remove barium and radium may also certify to this standard.

NSF/ANSI Standard 53: Water purifiers certifying to this standard have designs that remove health-related contaminants such as waterborne organisms and industrial chemicals. Cryptosporidium, giardia, volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) and trihalomethane compounds (THMs) fit into one of those categories or the other.

NSF/ANSI Standard 55: Devices rated to this standard function as point of use (POU) or point of entry (POE) ultraviolet microbiological water treatment systems. These water treatment systems feature designs which disinfect microorganisms (such as bacteria and viruses) potentially present in water.

NSF/ANSI Standard 58: Typically one will find reverse osmosis water systems (RO) certified to this standard. Devices in this category will normally have the ability to fully remove organic contaminants, but may only partially remove inorganic compounds and heavy metals.

NSF/ANSI Standard 62: Certified to this standard one will typically find water distillers. The process of distillation removes a wider range of drinking water contaminants than all other methods of drinking water purification. Arsenic, mercury and bacteria all get eliminated through the use of water distillation systems.

NSF/ANSI Standard 177: Water filtration units certified to this standard function as shower head filters designed to remove chlorine from water.

Water Contamination From Torpedo Testing?

Water Testing Blog — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:03:00 +0000

Of all the things a person should have to worry about affecting their drinking water, who in their right mind would think that torpedo testing would ever become an issue?

Not us, but folks in the San Gabriel Valley region of California have something to think about… unfortunately.

The San Gabriel Mountains may be an unlikely site for a U.S. Navy torpedo lab, but 17,000 cubic yards of soil contaminated by torpedo tests is going to be hauled away from a lake in a canyon above Azusa, according to reports.

The Navy tested torpedo engines and shapes in the lake behind Morris Dam beginning in World War II. After 50 years, it closed the facility but left behind bad chemical residue.

Perchlorates, a cancer-causing type of rocket propellant, arsenic and other dangerous compounds coat rocks on the 20-acre test site on a peninsula in the lake, which is a domestic drinking water supply for the San Gabriel Valley. ( source )

Yeah… Not too many people will ever have to deal with the residuals of torpedo testing winding up in their drinking water supply, but plenty of other folks — whether they know it or not — really ought to keep a close watch on the quality of their drinking water.

Sneaky contaminants like arsenic, which occurs naturally in the environment, can show up in well water unannounced. Something as simple as a change in the weather can result in increased arsenic levels in well water. Therefore owners of wells owe it to themselves and everyone their wells serve to test for arsenic on a regular basis.

Most health officials suggest that private well owners have a thorough water quality analysis performed at least once a year by a certified water testing laboratory. Whether done by a local lab or a company like National Testing Labs, owners of private wells owe it to themselves and their families to have their water tested on a regular basis.

Arsenic Quick Mini Kit

Arsenic Quick II Mini Kit

Arsenic Quick Full Kit

Water Filter System for People w/ Compromised Immune Systems

Water Testing Blog — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:03:45 +0000

We recently received an email inquiry from Lisa containing a question about water treatment systems for people with compromised immune systems.

My son has just been diagnoses with an immune deficiency, and I should be sterilizing his drinking water -which I am doing by boiling for him. I am wondering if distilled or reverse osmosis, bottled water would effectively remove bacteria from the water, and be a safe alternative. Would one be better then the other.

Thank you for your time,

Lisa

Thank you, Lisa, for your question and it pains us to learn of your son’s condition. We hope that modern medicine can find a way to help your son live a long and healthy life.

Regarding your question about the best way to sterilize water for people with compromised immune systems, the EPA and CDC co-released a document back in 1995 that gives a lot of useful information on the topic entitled Guidance for People with Severely Weakened Immune Systems.

Below you will find excerpts from that document relating directly to the questions you asked:

Cryptosporidium has caused several large waterborne disease outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness, with symptoms that include diarrhea, nausea, and/or stomach cramps. People with severely weakened immune systems (that is, severely immunocompromised) are likely to have more severe and more persistent symptoms than healthy individuals. Moreover, Cryptosporidium has been a contributing cause of death in some immunocompromised people.
Although data are not sufficient for EPA/CDC to recommend that all severely immunocompromised persons take extra caution with regards to their drinking water, individuals who wish to take extra measures to avoid waterborne Cryptosporidiosis can bring their drinking water to a full boil for one minute. Boiling water is the most effective way of killing Cryptosporidium.
Only point-of-use filters that remove particles one micrometer or less in diameter should be considered. Filters in this category that provide the greatest assurance of Cryptosporidium removal include those that use reverse osmosis, those labeled as “Absolute” one micrometer filters, or those labeled as certified by NSF International under standard 53 for “Cyst Removal.” …. Water treated with a point-of-use filter that meets the above criteria may not necessarily be free of organisms smaller than Cryptosporidium that could pose a health hazard for severely immunocompromised individuals.
Many, but not all, brands of bottled water may provide a reasonable alternative to boiling tap water. …. Any bottled water treated by distillation or reverse osmosis before bottling assures Cryptosporidium removal.
Neither EPA nor CDC maintains a list of point-of-use filters or bottled water brands that meet the above criteria. NSF International can provide a list of filters that meet the NSF criteria.

We suggest you take a look at the NSF Web Site to see what systems meet their requirements. In a situation like yours, you will want to make certain the product you purchase will accomplish all your objectives — and then some.

One system we came across recently, the Pentek RO-3500 Monitored Reverse Osmosis System,

NSF Tested & Certified Standard 58 for reduction of TDS, Fluoride, Turbidity, Lead, Nitrates, Selenium, Arsenic, Copper, Cadmium, Barium, Cyst, and Radium.

The Pentek R0-3500 features the 3 stage system, one ROM-230TN membrane, a D15 sediment filter, a D20 carbon filter, and one long-reach lead-free faucet. Unit comes with a standard installation kit and instructions.

Another feature of the the Pentek RO3500 which makes it quite nice… an electronic monitoring system that keeps track of the water filters cartridges’ lifespans and informs the owner when they need replacing.

What elements does the RO-3500 Reverse Osmosis System reduce and/or eliminate? The unit has the ability to filter out the following elements as well as many other chemical compounds:

90.2% TDS ( test for TDS )
98.9% Arsenic ( test for arsenic )
90.5% Fluoride
98% Phosphates ( test for arsenic )
99.99% Cysts
99.7% Turbidity
98.7% Lead ( test for lead )
87.4% Nitrate ( test for nitrates )
80.7% Nitrite ( test for nitrites )
97.5% Selenium
99.9% Copper ( test for copper )
97.3% Cadmium
86.6% Hexavalent Chromium ( test for chromium )
92.8% Trivalent Chromium
80% Radium 226/228
90.7% Barium
Chlorine ( test for chlorine )
Sediment & Particulates

For more information on the Pentek Reverse Osmosis System mentioned above, please read its detailed specifications on FiltersFast.Com.

One final word

Use of a reverse osmosis systems does NOT guarantee the elimination of ALL possible biological contaminants since some biological contaminants have sizes smaller than the membranes in RO units can filter out.

For that reason you may want to consider adding a UV Sterilizer to your filtration setup. These devices render biological contaminants incapable of reproducing by altering their genetic structure with specific wavelengths of light.

Chemicals Found in Mountain Island Lake Fish (Metals and PCB’s)

Water Testing Blog — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:03:22 +0000

A recent study done on fish and sediment taken from Mountain Island Lake in North Carolina detected higher than expected, and some cases safe, levels of toxic metals and PCB’s.

Toxic chemicals and heavy metals are collecting in the tissue of fish and the sediment beneath the water of Mountain Island Lake, according to a new study out this week.

A recent independent study by the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation determined that drinking water supplied by the lake is safe but the fish and sediment from the lake contains high levels of unacceptable industrial matter, according to David Merryman, Catawba Riverkeeper.

“I think from these results we should at least evaluate our fish consumption for PCBs, and that’s something I’ll be calling for,” said Merryman.

…

A PCB concentration of 70.7 parts per billion was found in largemouth bass that were tested. That is more than 20 points higher than levels considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said Merryman.

Mountain Island Lake provides water to Gastonia, Mount Holly and several other municipalities and is also a popular fishing spot for anglers in the area.

Samples of fish also showed signs of barium, mercury and selenium.

…

Any advisories about the consumption of fish would have to come from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

…

The water in Mountain Island Lake proved to be free of PCBs but did include arsenic and barium. Sediment contained arsenic, barium, lead, selenium and mercury. These elements may not surpass acceptable levels, but they are alarming to Merryman.

“This is important. This is the water we drink. It’s where we swim,” he said.

Many of the chemicals detected during the independent test come from the neighboring coal-ash ponds operated by area power plants, according to Merryman.

While the coal-ash ponds are independent of Mountain Island Lake, water is skimmed off the top of the ponds regularly and dumped into the lake.

“Those coal-ash ponds are a source of heavy metals to that lake that a million and a half of us depend on to drink, to cook and wash our clothes,” said Merryman. “We really shouldn’t let industry pump heavy metals into a lake that we depend on.”

Duke Energy is allowed to discharge into the river system under a permit.

…

The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation contracted with Pace Analytical Laboratories in Huntersville to conduct the tests on Mountain Island Lake.
( source )

We will post more information about the water quality in Mountain Island Lake as we learn it. For now, though, please take a look at the test kits below, as they will work for testing lake water, tap water and well water for potentially hazardous levels of metals in water.

Heavy Metals in Water

Arsenic in Water Test Kit

Lead in Water Test Kit

Arsenic Removal Water Filter Media

Water Testing Blog — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:03:28 +0000

A quick look at the arsenic map on Arsenic-Test-Kit.Com will show you that arsenic can appear in groundwater all across the Continental United States and in some areas naturally occurring arsenic levels in ground water greatly exceed the 10 ppb (parts per billion) limit set forth by the USEPA several years ago.

Want to know if your drinking or well water contains dissolved arsenic in concentrations greater then recommended by the USEPA? At-home test kits such as the Arsenic Quick Test Kits for Drinking Water work well as a field screening tool, but the final word ought to come from a certified water testing lab such as National Testing Labs… or you can find lists of certified water testing labs in your state here.

National Testing Labs

Field Arsenic Test Kit

As more and more people become aware of the fact that levels of arsenic in well water can fluctuate with the changing of seasons, after periods of heavy rain and in periods of drought, the demand for arsenic removal systems for residential and commercial use continues to rise.

One of the most common methods of arsenic removal requires the use of a specific type of water filter media, an example of which is a nano-particle based selective iron oxide resin media designed to remove arsenic (arsenate and arsenite) from water.

A quality arsenic removal resin of that nature will have passed all testing and quality requirements outlined in the NSF/ANSI 61 standard.

Arsenic Multi-Stage Cartridge

Countertop Arsenic Filter

Whole House Arsenic Filter

Fluoride Removal Media for Water Filters

Water Testing Blog — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:03:23 +0000

While the debate over public water system fluoridation rages on,

– Arsenic and Fluoride Still a Problem

– Fluoride Exposure Linked to Sperm Damage

– Fluoride in Drinking Water Facts

– More Information on Fluoride in Drinking Water

… more and more people install filters to remove fluoride in their homes, offices and places of business.

While some fluoride removal systems use replaceable filter cartridges and/or reverse osmosis membranes, larger units and whole house systems use special filtration media that must get replaced every so often.

A good quality fluoride removal water filter media will work using both adsorption and chemical reaction and not rely exclusively on an ion exchange reaction only.

The newest fluoride removal water filter media carried by FilterWater.Com contains a synthetic aluminum oxide adsorbent media, a resin designed specifically to have a high affinity for Fluoride, Lead and Arsenic.

Lead in Water Test Kit

Arsenic in Water Test Kit

Multi-Parameter Water Testing Meter

Affordable Arsenic Test Kits for Home Well Water Testing

Water Testing Blog — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:22:16 +0000

The Arsenic Quick Test II Mini-Kit detects low levels of arsenic, as low as 2 ppb (micrograms/L), in just 14 minutes. Testing can take place as easily in the field as it can in a lab, in a home, or just about anywhere.

To make testing for arsenic in private wells more affordable, Arsenic Quick Test II Mini-Kits contain enough of the three needed reagents — tartaric acid (food grade), zinc powder, and monopersulfate — and patented detection strips to run two full tests for arsenic in water.

While other arsenic test kits use harsher acids and have more complex testing procedures, Arsenic Quick Test Kits provide a safer, faster method for testing arsenic in well water, groundwater, surface water, etc.

Arsenic Quick Test Kits work so well, in fact, that the States of Michigan and Arizona have each incorporated an Arsenic Quick Test Kit into their Arsenic Testing Compliance Regulations.

Arsenic Quick Mini Kit
2 Tests

Arsenic Quick II Mini Kit
2 Tests

Arsenic Quick Full Kit
100 Tests

Question: Where Can I Get a Water Test Kit for a Science Project?

Water Testing Blog — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:03:08 +0000

Lisa wrote in on behalf of her son who wishes to perform water testing on the water in the creek near their home for a science project:

My son is doing a science project on the water in the creek by our house. He wants to measure the runoff contaminants after a rain storm and then measure again a few weeks later to see the change and what was washed into the creek. What test kits should he buy and where should he get it.

thank you.

WaterSafe manufactures a science project test kit which may prove useful for your son’s project. The WaterSafe Science Project Kit includes tests for Lead, Bacteria, Pesticides, Nitrates, Chlorine, Hardness and pH. It comes with enough testing materials to test a total of four separate bodies of water or the same body of water on four separate occasions.

The kit also comes in a larger size which includes ten sets of tests for the parameters mentioned above. See Science Project Kit 10-Pack for additional details.

Testing for Chemical Pollutants and Contaminants

As a general rule, you will not find a test kit that can test for chemical pollutants because testing for such items typically requires the use of advanced laboratory techniques and/or equipment.

This does not mean, however, that you cannot test for other, more natural forms of pollution. The USEPA forbids the dumping excessive amounts of iron, copper, chromium, arsenic, mercury, cyanide, etc. into the environment… and at-home test kits DO exist for those compounds.

Lead in Water Test Kit

Arsenic in Water Test Kit

Mercury Test Strips

Chromium in Water Test Kit

Cyanide in Water Test Kit

Total Iron in Water Test Kit

USEPA Plans to Strengthen Rules Governing Water Pollution

Water Testing Blog — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:03:27 +0000

We read a LOT of articles dealing with issues that affect the quality of drinking water so it REALLY pleases us to learn that the USEPA plans to make changes to its policies that will allow it to examine more suspected drinking water contaminants faster. Additionally, it sounds as though the changes will allow for faster implementation of public policy when deemed necessary.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Monday that it would overhaul drinking water regulations so that officials could police dozens of contaminants simultaneously and tighten rules on the chemicals used by industries.

The new policies, which are still being drawn up, will probably force some local water systems to use more effective cleaning technologies, but may raise water rates. ( source )

Somebody’s Got to Pay…

Unfortunately, when it comes to cleaning up our drinking water, safer water will most likely require municipalities to invest in more sophisticated water treatment equipment. This may not go over very well with public water systems that still may not have paid off the water treatment equipment upgrades they had to install when the USEPA lowered the MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) for dissolved arsenic in drinking water from 50ppb to 10ppb a few years ago.

No matter how you slice it, the money for the upgrades will have to come from someplace. Either the customers will take the hit in the form of higher water bills or the Federal Government will have to give some municipalities grants for the upgrades — which means US taxpayers will wind up footing the bill.

Don’t We Already Have Laws on the Books?

Some folks believe we already have enough laws on the books to regulate the types of chemicals and compounds the companies may dump into the environment and feel that stricter enforcement of the existing laws will do more good than creating new laws.

That would work except for one small detail: Many of the current laws apply only to specific chemicals and not to classes or families of chemicals.

Do not fret, though, because the EPA has announced that it has plans to create better, more effective rules governing water quality contaminants AND increase enforcement of its regulations.

In some instances, laws are sufficient, but they have been ignored: More than 20 percent of the nation’s water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to an analysis of federal data by The New York Times. And the other major water law — the Clean Water Act — has been violated more than half a million times, though few polluters were ever punished.

To correct such lapses, the E.P.A. intends to reform agency policies that essentially require regulators to examine pollutants one at a time. Those adjustments will allow government scientists to evaluate large groups of similar contaminants at the same time and to issue new rules that apply to dozens of chemicals.

…

The agency previously announced it was developing plans to crack down on polluters and force water systems to abide by cleanliness laws. ( source )

In the End…

The USEPA, like any other government body, has limitations as to what it can and cannot do to protect the quality of drinking water in the United States. Budget concerns, staffing issues, and the political agendas of persons inside and outside of the organization all play a part in the organization’s actions.

While all of us at Water Testing Blog applaud the efforts of the EPA to keep tabs the ever-growing number of pollutants entering the environment, we believe that at the end of the day responsibility for the quality of our drinking water falls on our shoulders — and that we must test our own water regularly… just in case.

Well Water Testing Encouraged Around Gas Wells

Water Testing Blog — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:03:29 +0000

A lot of debate has taken place over the possible effects that drilling for gas may have on the quality of well water in the area. Some say nothing should happen to the water quality and others believe water quality near and far will suffer.

In Honesdale, PA, an area slated to have gas wells installed very soon, a meeting will take place in June and at that meeting water quality experts will go over details related to the drilling and inform local residents about well water testing options.

An informational program titled: Home Water Well Testing in the Gas Well Area is being held June 15.

Jointly hosted by Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Wayne Conservation District, the program is being offered at two separate locations and times: Damascus School in Damascus from 2 to 4 p.m. or the Park Street Complex in Honesdale from 7 to 9 p.m.

“We feel that people should be more aware of general water testing with their wells. They should be testing every so often to make sure that their drinking water is of a good quality. But also, it’s obvious that we need to do this with the gas wells …gas drilling coming in,” said Jamie Knecht, district watershed specialist.

Pat Mohn, Penn State Cooperative Extension, said a standard well test costs $50, whereas testing geared more towards an oil and gas drilling area would run around $65. Such a test would include testing for: coliform bacteria, E. coli, total dissolved solids, barium and chlorides.

There are a lot of different packages and prices, she said. Testing for heavy metals, including arsenic would cost around $130.

The meeting’s agenda includes: how gas wells can impact groundwater wells, regulations to protect private wells, potential pollutants, testing strategies, how to collect water samples, and interpretation of water test results. ( source )

When situations like this come up, and no one ‘really’ knows what will happen to water quality in an area, we suggest that you don’t take chances with the quality of your water and err on the side of caution… especially since a variety of water quality experts already suggest periodic testing — ‘just to make sure’.

Certified Lab Testing Versus At-Home Drinking Water Test Kits

Hands down, and we mean WAY down, in cases where unknown contaminants of a natural sort (chlorides, arsenic, metals, etc.), possibly some of a non-natural sort, ‘might’ find their way into the aquifer from which you draw your well water, all of us here at Water Testing Blog believe nothing takes the place of thorough water testing conducted by a certified water testing lab. We applaud the efforts of officials in the Honesdale, PA area to educate the public on their lab testing options.

For everyone else not in the Honesdale, PA area, and perhaps even a few folks IN the Honesdale, PA area who fear a potential conspiracy/cover-up, other lab testing options exist such as National Testing Laboratories and Suburban Water Testing.