Nuisance organisms in drinking water are those that are not pathogenic (disease causing) but cause other types of problems related to aesthetics (color, taste, odor) and corrosion or plugging of pumps, wells and distribution systems. Two common nuisance organisms in ground water are iron bacteria and sulfur bacteria. Two common nuisance organisms in surface water are algae and zebra mussels.…
In towns and cities, what is the major cause of pollution of drinking water sources?
The major source of pollution in drinking water sources is rainwater that flows into street catch basins (called urban runoff or stormwater runoff). While this rainwater alone is not necessarily harmful, it frequently carries untreated waste products from our streets and yards directly into rivers, streams, and lakes — our drinking water sources.
Other potential sources of drinking water pollution are products that are flushed through the sewer system, not removed by waste treatment, and then passed back into our …
Will coliform bacteria in drinking water make us sick?
Coliforms are not one kind of bacteria, but many, and they can make you sick if ingested from drinking water. But most coliforms are harmless residents of soil and will not make people sick. Some strains of E. coli, the most common fecal coliform bacterium (usually living in animal fecal material) may cause disease. Some E. coli strains found in food have been lethal. Their presence should be taken very seriously.
Your immune system also determines whether on not …
Drinking Water Contaminant – Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Contents
- 1. Sources of volatile organic compounds in drinking water
- 2. Potential health effects of volatile organic compounds in drinking water
- 3. Testing for volatile organic compounds in drinking water
- 4. Options for volatile organic compounds in drinking water
Sources of volatile organic compounds in drinking water
Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) are a class of chemicals that are carbon-containing and evaporate, or vaporize, easily into air at normal air temperatures. VOCs are found in a variety of commercial, industrial, and …
Drinking Water Contaminant – Sulfur, hydrogen sulfide
Contents
- 1. Sources of sulfate and hydrogen sulfide in drinking water
- 2. Potential health effects of sulfate and hydrogen sulfide in drinking water
- 3. Testing for sulfate and hydrogen sulfide in drinking water
- 4. Options for sulfate and hydrogen sulfide in drinking water
Sources of sulfate and hydrogen sulfide in drinking water
Sulfates are a combination of sulfur and oxygen and are a part of naturally occurring minerals in some soil and rock formations that contain groundwater. The mineral dissolves …
Drinking Water Contaminant – Protozoa and Amoeba
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Sources of protozoa and amoeba in drinking water
Drinking water supplies that depend on surface or ground water are subject to contamination …
Drinking Water Contaminant – Iron and manganese bacteria
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Sources of iron and manganese in drinking water
Iron and manganese are the 4th and 13th most common metallic elements found in the Earth’s crust, respectively. Water percolating through …
Drinking Water Contaminant – High total dissolved solids
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Sources of total dissolved solids in drinking water
…Drinking Water Contaminant – Nitrate
Nitrates in drinking water may cause adverse health effects. What are the sources of nitrate in private drinking water wells?
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Sources of nitrate in drinking water
Nitrate is a form of nitrogen …
Drinking Water Contaminant – Arsenic
Arsenic in drinking water can’t be detected by taste, sight or smell. How do you find out if your private well water is contaminated with arsenic?
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Sources of arsenic in drinking water
The 20th most abundant …