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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


Selenium

Selenium is a naturally occurring element that usually is present in only small amounts in water. It is an essential human nutrient, but it has known toxic effects on animals exposed through grazing. It is an essential human nutrient but only a very small amount is needed.

Selenium occurs naturally in soil and is a by-product of copper mining and smelting.

The main source in human nutrition is through plant foods. Selenium is rarely a water pollutant.

The EPA has established the MCL for selenium in water at 0.05 mg/L.

The best way to remove selenium is reverse osmosis or with an anion exchanger. Anion exchange reduces selenium by 60 to 95%. Reverse osmosis reduces selenium by 90%. Activated Alumina adsorption also reduces selenium by 90 to 95 percent. Distillation is a 98% reducer.

 

Sources: Enting Engineering Handbook.

WQA Technical Bulletin.