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Water Treatment Issues:

Acid Water

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Barium

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Bicarbonate Alkalinity

Boron (Borate, Boric Acid)

Brackish Water

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Carbon Tetrachloride

Chloramines

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Chlorine

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Color

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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


Perchlorate

What Perchlorate Is

 

Perchlorate is a natural product but also a synthetic chemical. It has many uses such a fertilzier, rocket fuel, fireworks, and explosives. It was once used as a pharmaceutical to treat hyperthyroidism (Graves' Disease). Perchlorate is a very powerful oxidizer.

Perchlorate occurs naturally especially in the SW United States, in soil and in water sources. It contaminates the soil around many military bases and defense plants. It has been found in food, and EPA has detected it in water supplies of at least half the states in the US.

In high concentrations, perchlorate can interfere with iodide uptake by the thyroid gland, reducing thyroid hormone production and interfering with normal growth and metabolism

Not regulated by EPA as a drinking water contaminant, but is on EPA’s Contaminant Candidate List. EPA recommends that people who prepare infant formula with water containing more than 15 ppb use water that is lower in perchlorate. EPA will look at further studies of perchlorate.

In 2011 the Obama adminsitration reversed a Bush ruling that perchlorate is of no health consequence and instructed the EPA to go about setting a MCL for perchlorate.

Two US states how have enforeable maximum limits for perchlorate. Califoria's is at 6 ppb and Massachusetts' is at 2 ppb.

Water treatment:

The best treatment is reverse osmosis. Also anion exchange, carbon adsorption and possibly distillation can be effective. NSF certifies reverse osmosis units for perchlorate reduction.


Sources: EPA, FDA, US Geological Survey, Calgon Carbon Corp., NSF International, state environmental agencies in California, Massachusetts and New Jersey and Water Technology Magazine.