Welcome to our February Newsletter |
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As the cold weather continues to settle in throughout New England remember that it's the perfect time to test for radon in your air. Testing requires you to keep your house buttoned up for the most accurate results. |
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In this Edition
Antimony In Your Well Water
Copper In Your Pipes
Fluoride In Your Drinking Water
Industry News
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Antimony In Your Well Water |
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Pure antimony is a white metal which breaks or snaps easily. It is usually found in combination with other substances because it easily combines with a variety of other elements to form many useful chemicals. The most widely used antimony compound is antimony trioxide, used as a flame retardant to help reduce flammability. It is also found in batteries, pigments, plastics, paints and ceramics/glass.
Antimony is released naturally from the earth's crust and so is found, usually at relatively low concentrations, in soils, natural water bodies and sediments. Man-made releases of Antimony occur to air and water from waste incinerators, metal processing works, mines and industrial facilities burning coal. In urban areas, the main sources are fumes from the burning of oil fuels, especially vehicle exhaust gases, and dusts from industry.
Antimony can enter the body by inhalation of air containing antimony, by ingestion of food or water containing antimony, or by dermal contact with antimony. Ingestion of large doses of antimony may cause vomiting and diarrhea. Antimony trioxide is classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans because it has been seen to cause lung tumors in rats but it is still inconclusive.
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Copper is a metal that occurs naturally in rock, soil, water, sediment, and air. It is an essential element for living organisms, including humans, and, in small amounts, necessary in our diet to ensure good health. However, too much copper can cause adverse health effects, including vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea. It has also been associated with liver damage and kidney disease.
The level of copper in surface and groundwater is generally very low. High levels of copper may get introduced into the environment through mining, farming, manufacturing operations, and municipal or industrial wastewater releases into rivers and lakes. Copper can get into drinking water either by directly contaminating well water or through corrosion of copper pipes if your water is acidic. Corrosion of pipes is by far the greatest cause for concern. Copper works its way into the water by dissolving from copper pipes in the household plumbing. The longer the water has been idle in the pipes, the more copper is likely to have absorbed. At very high levels, copper can cause a bitter metallic taste in water and result in blue-green stains on plumbing fixtures.
Any time a faucet has not been used for six or more hours, you can flush the system by running the water for at least 15 seconds first thing in the morning before drinking or using it, you must flush each faucet individually before using the water to ensure the safety for drinking or cooking. You may also wish to consider water treatment methods such as reverse osmosis, ultra-filtration, distillation, or ion exchange.
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Fluoride In Your Drinking Water |
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Fluoride is a naturally occurring element that can be found in most water at low levels, but can be rich in New England’s bedrock. When a well is drilled in an area with high fluoride, it can get into the home’s drinking water supply. Fluoride can be beneficial to teeth at the right amount, but at high levels can be dangerous to a person’s health.
Fluoride is colorless, tasteless and odorless and testing is the best way to find out if it is in your water. At approximately 1.0 mg/L fluoride can reduce dental cavities without harmful effects. In some areas, fluoride is added to the water in what is called “community water fluoridation” to prevent tooth decay for those who are drinking the water. Usually if this is done, less than 1.0mg /L is added to a water system, putting into consideration the exposure to fluoride in toothpaste, mouthwashes and food products.
At levels of 2.0mg/L in water, fluoride will fail the EPA secondary guidelines. At this level and above, the fluoride can cause staining on the teeth called fluorosis. This causes small white stains on the teeth and more severely, dark brown stains with pitted enamel. The risk of fluorosis goes up once levels reach 4.0mg/L and above, and lifetime exposure to high levels of fluoride can cause irregular bone deposits, increased risk of fractures and debilitating arthritis in joints.
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services states that fluoride has been found in high concentrations in the Mt. Washington-Saco River Valley area, as well as west of Concord and from Wolfeboro through Franconia Notch. If your well water is showing high levels of fluoride, there is treatment available such as reverse osmosis and activated alumina. The preferred treatment for fluoride would be a point-of-use system that would be placed at a sink used for drinking and cooking, as the main concern with fluoride is consuming it.
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NEWS THROUGHOUT OUR INDUSTRY |
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