Comments on: Well and Ground Water Testing in Flood Zones http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/24/well-and-ground-water-testing-in-flood-zones/ Water quality, testing, and purification Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:05:45 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Manure in Your Faucet | Water Quality: Testing, Filters for, and Purification of Drinking, Ground and Pool Water http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/24/well-and-ground-water-testing-in-flood-zones/comment-page-1/#comment-498 Manure in Your Faucet | Water Quality: Testing, Filters for, and Purification of Drinking, Ground and Pool Water Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:07:02 +0000 http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/24/well-and-ground-water-testing-in-flood-zones/#comment-498 [...] flooding can have on well water, please see an earlier Water Testing Blog entry called “Well and Ground Water Testing in Flood Zones“. Add [...] [...] flooding can have on well water, please see an earlier Water Testing Blog entry called “Well and Ground Water Testing in Flood Zones“. Add [...]

]]> By: Water Testing Blog http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/24/well-and-ground-water-testing-in-flood-zones/comment-page-1/#comment-85 Water Testing Blog Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:53:16 +0000 http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/24/well-and-ground-water-testing-in-flood-zones/#comment-85 In no way, shape or form do test strips qualify as the 'final word' when testing for life threatening water contaminants. They do, however, provide valuable on-site water test data that people can use to determine whether or not they ought to consider additional, more involved laboratory testing. With regard to the accuracy of test strips and their ability to detect arsenic, I refer you to nn article published in the December 2006 AWWA Journal entitled "Evaluation of arsenic field test kits for drinking water analysis". Where perfect arsenic detection results would have a slope of exactly 1.0 and an intercept of 0, <blockquote>"Only three tests demonstrated both a slope near 1.0 and an intercept close to zero. The TraceDetect, LaMotte, and Quick II kits had calculated slopes near 1.0 (0.900, 0.848, and 0.770, respectively) and intercepts less than +/- 2.0"</blockquote> Both the LaMotte and Quick II methods utilize test strip technology to detect arsenic. The article went on to say, <blockquote>"The authors suggest that the LaMotte and Quick II will be the most applicable for water utilities having a raw water arsenic concentration < 100 micrograms/liter."</blockquote> While no one in their right mind would suggest people rely solely upon test strips or any other 'in-the-field' test procedures, many such testing methods do provide valuable, real-time data in an inexpensive manner. It makes no sense to write all test strips off as wholly inaccurate when solid empirical data suggests otherwise. In no way, shape or form do test strips qualify as the ‘final word’ when testing for life threatening water contaminants. They do, however, provide valuable on-site water test data that people can use to determine whether or not they ought to consider additional, more involved laboratory testing.

With regard to the accuracy of test strips and their ability to detect arsenic, I refer you to nn article published in the December 2006 AWWA Journal entitled “Evaluation of arsenic field test kits for drinking water analysis”.

Where perfect arsenic detection results would have a slope of exactly 1.0 and an intercept of 0,

“Only three tests demonstrated both a slope near 1.0 and an intercept close to zero. The TraceDetect, LaMotte, and Quick II kits had calculated slopes near 1.0 (0.900, 0.848, and 0.770, respectively) and intercepts less than +/- 2.0″

Both the LaMotte and Quick II methods utilize test strip technology to detect arsenic.

The article went on to say,

“The authors suggest that the LaMotte and Quick II will be the most applicable for water utilities having a raw water arsenic concentration < 100 micrograms/liter."

While no one in their right mind would suggest people rely solely upon test strips or any other ‘in-the-field’ test procedures, many such testing methods do provide valuable, real-time data in an inexpensive manner. It makes no sense to write all test strips off as wholly inaccurate when solid empirical data suggests otherwise.

]]> By: Richard http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/24/well-and-ground-water-testing-in-flood-zones/comment-page-1/#comment-84 Richard Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:09:23 +0000 http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/24/well-and-ground-water-testing-in-flood-zones/#comment-84 Test strips have proven to be very in accurate in measuring PPB levels of Arsenic and other trace metals and this might give false security to people concerning their health risk. Test strips have proven to be very in accurate in measuring PPB levels of Arsenic and other trace metals and this might give false security to people concerning their health risk.

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