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Water Treatment Issues:

Acid Water

Algae, cyanotoxins

Alkalinity

Alum (Aluminum Sulfate)

Aluminum

Ammonia

Arsenic

Asbestos

Bacteria

Barium

Benzene

Bicarbonate Alkalinity

Boron (Borate, Boric Acid)

Brackish Water

Bromine

Bromate

Cadmium

Calcium

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon Tetrachloride

Chloramines

Chloride

Chlorine

Chromium

Color

Copper

Corrosion

Cryptosporidium

Cyanide

Dichloroethylene

Endocrine Disruptors

Fluoride

Giardia Lambia

Hardness

Heterotrophic Bacteria (HPC)

Hydrogen Sulfide

Iodine

Iron

Iron Bacteria

Lead

Magnesium

Manganese

Mercury

Methane

MTBE

Napthalene

Nickel

Nitrates and Nitrites

NMDA (N-Nitrosodimethylanime)

Norovirus

Odor

Organics

Perchloroethylene (PCE)

Perchlorate

Pesticides

pH

Pharmaceuticals

Radon

Radium

Selenium

Silica

Silver

Strontium

Sulfate

TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)

Trichlorethylene (TCE)

Tritium

Uranium

Vanadium

Vinyl Chloride

VOC


Chloride


Chloride, one of the most prevalent anions found in water, combines most commonly with the cations sodium, calcium, and magnesium.

Chloride levels in most waters range from 10 to 100 mg/l, and sea water contains over 30,000 mg/l chloride in combination with sodium, as NaCl.

Chloride, when concentrated, can cause corrosion of metal piping, so when treating water high in chloride plastic is usually preferred to stainless steel for reverse osmosis membrane housings. Iron is leached into water from metal pipes when high levels of chloride are present. Chloride is the main cause of pitting of stainless steel. Chloride combines with hydrogen to produce hydrochloric acid.

The suggested MCL for chloride is 250 ppm. Above this level water often has an unpleasant salty taste.

Reverse osmosis removes around 95% of chloride, and electrodialysis and distillation are also effective. In industrial settings, strong base anion exchangers can be used.

 

Reference: Enting Engineering Handbook.