Several of our Water Testing Blog readers have asked us to provide some basic information about mercury, its history, and how to test for it if they wanted to know if it had somehow gotten into their water supply. Below please find some very basic facts about mercury:

• Mercury exists in several forms: Elemental/Metallic Mercury, Inorganic Mercury Compounds, Organic Mercury Compounds.
• Mankind can neither create nor destroy mercury.
• Pure Mercury is a liquid metal at room temperature and standard environmental conditions. It is sometimes referred to as ‘quicksilver’ and volatizes readily.
• Industry has used Mercury in the manufacturing process of thermometers, switches and lightbulbs.
• The burning of coal releases mercury into the environment.
• Production of chlorine, burning of certain hazardous waste products, improper storage/disposal of mercury products, and the accidental spilling of mercury products releases mercury into the environment.
• Mercury released into the environment typically winds up in soil and in bodies of water where certain microorganisms can convert into a highly toxic compound known as methylmercury.
• The compound methylmercury can build up in animals such as fish and humans consume these animals so in the United States, the EPA and FDA work together issuing advisories and warnings when environmental samples reveal higher than normal levels of methylmercury in test specimens.

So… what can the average consumer do to protect themselves against accidental exposure to mercury and its highly toxic chemical derivatives such as methylmercury? First off, heed posted signs from local health departments regarding eating the fish from known or unknown bodies of water. Second, if you fear that your drinking water source may have gotten contaminated with mercury, or ANY other harmful element, get your water tested by a certified drinking water testing facility.

Can consumers test for the presence of mercury in water? Yes, but keep in mind that do-it-yourself testing kits for mercury in water serve only as screening tools, and not as the final word for determining whether or not a water supply meets the requirements for safe human consumption.

Boris Mercury Check (480049)
detects 0.002ppm – 0.08ppm

So you took the plunge and installed the proper water filtration system at your home, school or office and feel confident that you now have safe, clean drinking water available at all times. Good for you!

One question, though…. What will you do on your next vacation overseas? You can’t take your home water filtration system with you, ya’ know!

“The World Health Organization (WHO) attributes 80% of all travel diseases to contaminated drinking water. Don’t let contaminated drinking water spoil your trip. Avoid tap water and ice cubes anytime the water quality is uncertain – even bottled water can be questionable, when available. According to WHO, almost half of all travellers suffer from some form of diarrhoea while en-route.” (source)

For those not very good at math, that last statement means scientists have concluded that most of the sudden illnesses people came down with while away from home resulted from their having consumed contaminated drinking water in the form of ice cubes, bottled water and/or water from the tap.

“Huh? Contaminated tap water? I thought tap water was supposed to be safe…” — A common misconception in countries outside the United States and other Western nations. While the water in those places may undergo filtration and purification, the quality of the finished product may still not measure up to the quality of the water coming from your tap back home and thus may cause you to get sick.

Some other things to consider while making food and beverage choices while away from home…

“When travelling to many countries, special precautions should be taken to avoid sickness from micro organisms in food and especially water. Many countries still fertilise with human excrement, making it important to follow a few tips to avoid getting sick.” (source)

OK, so what can you do to avoid potentially contaminated drinking water while away from home on vacation? The following tips will help:

• Order your drinks without ice unless you know the water used to make the ice came from a safe source.
• Drink only industrially bottled beverages. Bottles or cans which arrive already ‘open’ may have become contaminated since their time of manufacturing.
• Order your food well-cooked. While tempting to order some foods (steak as an example) rare because of personal preference, avoiding raw or slightly cooked foods, seafood, mayonnaise, ice cream, butter, etc. will help to keep you safe.
• Avoid eating food from street vendors. You have no way of knowing how hygienic the food preparation process, cooking process and/or equipment cleaning process is.
• Only eat fruits, raw vegetables, or salads if you know the water used to clean and rinse them came from a trusted source. Keep in mind, though, that you do have the option of thoroughly rinsing them yourself with disinfected water if available.
• Avoid raw milk. Pasteurized milk is safe to drink because it has undergone a heating process which kills of harmful bacteria.
• Fruit juices with high sugar content create a prefect environment for bacteria to grow. One should only drink fruit juices from (factory) sealed containers or from properly cleaned and sanitized blenders.
• As a general rule, fresh hot coffee and tea typically will contain no harmful bacteria because of the heating process used to prepare them. Beer and wine usually also contain no threats but do keep in mind that improperly cleaned glasses, mugs and steins can still make you sick. Also, alcoholic beverages will not kill off bacteria already in the stomach — meaning you cannot use an alcoholic beverage as a safety tool while eating/drinking other items which may contain harmful bacteria.
• Brush your teeth with water from a trusted source such as bottled water, etc. Even a single drop of contaminated water may contain enough harmful bacteria to make a person very ill.
• Use only water from a trusted source when taking medications as. A single drop of contaminated watrer may contain more than enough bacteria to make a person sick and Always use
• One should never bathe or rinse off with ‘random’ surface water.
• Wash your hands on a regular basis and especially after using the bathroom, handling items handled by other members of the general public, etc. Furthermore, just like when home, wash hands thoroughly before eating or handling food.
• When drying off after a shower or swimming session, always use freshly washed towels.

Interested in learning about portable drinking water filtration units you can use while on-the-go, away from home, in the woods, out in the wild, or pretty much anywhere other than home? Take a look at the Katadyn water filtration & purification devices on this water quality filters web site.

In a previous post we discussed NSF Certification of water quality treatment devices and stated that devices meeting the requirements for NSF Certification would most likely do a far better job of keeping your drinking water safe and clean than non-NSF certified drinking water quality purification devices.

Question: Do other organizations other than NSF International also do independent testing of devices to ensure product quality and help guarantee that manufacturers have not fabricated the claims made in their literature.

Answer: Yes. One such organiztion goes by the name of the Water Quality Association and it, too performs and/or outsources manufacturer-independent testing of drinking water quality devices. They call their program the Gold Seal Product Certification Program and make the following statement regarding its purpose and place in the drinking water quality industry:

“The Water Quality Association’s Gold Seal Certification Program is dedicated to providing public health and safety services throughout the USA and globally, while maintaining expert service, superior reputation, and fair pricing. The Gold Seal Program offers certification of all products and chemicals that contact drinking water.” (source)

Question: Does either the Gold Seal Certification Program or the NSF Certification Program guarantee that a product will perform exactly as it needs to in order to provide you with good, clean and safe drinking water?

Answer: Not unless you know ahead of time what aspects of your drinking water need correcting! Think of it this way… Buying a high quality running shoe that fits your foot perfectly will not help you when you need to go ice skating.

Many consumers do not know that they can obtain the results of a comprehensive annual water test performed by their municipal water supplier for FREE — if they just knew where to look.

Consumer may click here to visit a page on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Water Web Site where they can begin their quest for information on obtaining a copy of their state’s annual Drinking Water Quality Report.

When it comes to drinking water quality, a little education can go a long way — and can save the average consumer a lot of money!

A second piece of advice for anyone considering a consultation session with a water treatment specialist deals with knowing whether or not they have received or earned accreditation from a nationally recognized water quality organization such as the Water Quality Association. You can search for water quality professionals (commercial, retail, dealers, manufacturers, etc.) in your area in the Water Quality Association’s member database for free by clicking here.

While this form of bacteria does have the word ‘bacteria’ in it, it has no pathogenic properties and exists more as a nuisance than anything else.  You can expect to find this form of bacteria in drinking water showing up in soil, ground water, and surface water.  In a household environment you may encounter this form of bacteria lingering around the metal parts of plumbing fixtures and/or in dark areas such as spaces hidden under the toilet lid tank.  Appearance-wise this form of iron in drinking water can look like a slimy or gelatinous substance hanging in the water.  With regard to color, the substance will typically appear brown, red or sometimes even white.

Can you test for it? Yes, but no simple, at-home method exists that we know of. Usually the proof of iron bacteria will manifest itself in a form that homeowners will see and/or smell.

With regard to treating iron bacteria, experts in the field pretty much agree on the following:

“Because it is difficult to get rid of iron bacteria once they exist in well systems, prevention is the best safeguard against accompanying problems. For well drillers, prevention means disinfecting everything that goes into the the ground with a strong (250 ppm) chlorine solution. Iron bacteria are nourished by carbon and other organics, and it is essential that these are not introduced into any part of the well system during the drilling process.” (source)

With so many different manufacturers producing counter top, under sink, whole house, shower, pitcher, and outdoor/emergency drinking water filters, the general public sometimes needs a little guidance when trying to decide which brand of product, make or model will best address their water purification needs.

NSF International helps consumers by providing reliable product information obtained through in-depth research and controlled experimentation done solely for the purpose of making sure products perform up to the expectations/standards of their manufacturers and all applicable levels of government.

What does ‘NSF’ stand for?

NSF stands for National Sanitation Foundation and that organization has played key roles in developing standards, product testing methods and certification services in areas such as public health, public safety and environmental protection.

Why should I care about NSF certification when purchasing a product?

“NSF is widely recognized for its scientific and technical expertise in the health and environmental sciences. Its professional staff includes engineers, chemists, toxicologists, and environmental health professionals with broad experience both in public and private organizations.

NSF has earned the Collaborating Center designations by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment.” (source)

And furthermore…

“Serving manufacturers operating in 80 countries …. The NSF Mark is recognized for its value in international trade around the world and is respected by regulatory agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.” (source)

OK, fine, but what does the NSF mark on a product tell me as the consumer?

By voluntarily submitting their products for independent review by an organization dedicated to ensuring compliance with American National Standards, the manufacturers of NSF Certified Products have shown a deep commitment to product integrity, public safety and preservation of the environment.

Example of an NSF Mark: click here

CSA B483.1

“Overview: Canadian Standards Association (CSA) developed additional requirements, outside the existing NSF/ANSI standards, to meet plumbing, mechanical, and electrical requirements for drinking water treatment components and complete systems. Products under this scope include POU and POE plumbed systems and POU non-plumbed systems. The regulation will go into Canadian National Plumbing Code in 2010 but provinces can adopt the standard at any time.” (source)

Lots of (manly) men out there may start taking a greater interest in the quality of their drinking water after reading that scientists and researchers have positively identified drinking water contaminants known to alter the gender of wildlife over time — and have also found them in some public water supplies.

Scientists are warning that manmade pollutants which have escaped into the environment mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen.

The males of species including fish, amphibians, birds, and reptiles have been feminised by exposure to sex hormone disrupting chemicals and have been found to be abnormally making egg yolk protein, normally made by females, according to the report by Chem Trust, environmental group.

The authors claim that the chemicals found in food packaging, cleaning products, plastics, sewage and paint cause genital deformities, reduce sperm count and “feminise” males.

Fish have been specifically affected by the gender changing chemicals. In one study, half the male fish in British lowland rivers had signs of being feminised – as chemicals which block the male hormone androgen had been released- leading to the development of eggs in their testes.

Although the report only looked at the impact of gender bending chemicals on the animal world, its authors say the findings have disturbing implications for human health.

Gywnne Lyons, a former Government advisor on chemical pollution and author of the report, said: “Urgent action is needed to control gender bending chemicals and more resources are needed for monitoring wildlife.

“If wildlife populations crash, it will be too late. Unless enough males contribute to the next generation there is a real threat to animal populations in the long term,” she added.

The paper lists the affected species and include, flounder in UK estuaries, cod in the North Sea, cane toads in Florida, peregrine falcons in Spain, and turtles from the Great Lakes in North America.

Some male roaches have changed sex completely after exposure to oestrogen from the Contraceptive pill pouring out of sewage works. (source)

The obvious question becomes, “Does no one test the quality of our drinking water for potentially and seriously harmful contaminants?”

Yes and no. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has two sets of established ’standards’ by which it judges drinking water quality: Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Standards. The first regulates known threats to human health such as known toxic chemicals, deadly periodic table elements, various forms of bacteria, pathogenic viruses, etc. The second regulates contaminants know to ruin drinking water’s aesthetic properties such as taste, color and odor.

Why have the chemicals and chemical by-products that scientists and researchers now believe may result in the mutation of and subsequent femininisation of males not gotten added to either of those Drinking Water Standards? Probably because no one had definitive proof of their potentially damaging effects on humans until now.

“Currently, federal and state legislation mandates testing and treatment for a wide array of tap water contaminants. A vast majority of public and private water utilities provide drinking water that meets or exceeds U.S. EPA and state drinking water safety standards. Additional legislation is being considered.” (source)

The next logical question which comes to most people’s minds at this point centers around learning how to effectively remove potentially dangerous chemicals such as pharmaceuticals from their drinking water. On that topic,  NSF International (National Sanitation Foundation) had this to say:

“While home water treatment systems are not specifically certified to reduce pharmaceuticals at this time, many of these products can help provide additional protection against a wide array of other contaminants, including arsenic, lead and cysts, sometimes found in drinking water.” (source)

More or less that means no one has stepped up and proposed a solid solution for getting the thousands of potentially harmful pharmaceutical and chemical waste and by-products out of our water supply. Kind of scary, right?

So for right now it seems as though the public’s best protection against drinking water contaminants comes in the form of arming itself with knowledge by testing its drinking water, or getting it tested, and applying that knowledge by installing the correct drinking water filtration system if needed.

NSF Protocol P231

“Overview: Protocol P231 addresses systems that use chemical, mechanical, and/or physical technologies to filter and treat waters of unknown microbiological quality, but that are presumed to be potable.” (source)

This form of iron creates sediments ranging in color from riddish-brown all the way to black and the precipitates formed will not go back into solution.  Therefore they pose a great problem for water filtration systems.  Water professionals often refer to this form of iron in water as ‘red iron’.

When testing for this type of iron, make certain that the test kit you choose can detect this type of iron. Sounds stupid for us to say that, but some iron in water test kits cannot detect ‘red iron’ and thus do not yield true total iron readings in water.

For a true reading of ALL the iron in your water, and not just the dissolved iron, we suggest the WaterWorks Total Iron Visual Test Kit which detects both forms of iron typically found in drinking water: Fe+2 and Fe+3.

In search of a quality water filtration system capable of removing all forms of iron? Check out the fine selection of home and office water filtration systems offered by the folks over at FilterWater.Com.