The other day we received an inquiry from ‘Margaret M’ regarding the affordability of fluoride removal systems for home use. Seems like every other day we get question about fluoride in drinking water, but we don’t mind. The more questions we get, the more interest in fluoride we know people have.

Although we have not, yet, decided for ourselves how we feel about the fluoridation of public water supplies, we do know that many people have already taken sides and line have already gotten drawn in the sand.

One one hand, some folks believe fluoridation of public water supplies has greatly helped the general public by making teeth more resistant to cavities and decay. On the other hand, with all the other sources of fluoride (i.e. dietary supplements, fluoride toothpaste, etc.) in the general public’s diet these days, some people have unknowingly received potentially unhealthy amounts of exposure to fluoride… and technically, fluoride counts as a toxic compound.

Getting back to the point of this article, though, Margaret asked, “I read on About.Com that reverse osmosis systems will remove fluoride from water an that they are too expensive for general use. Is that true?”

Quite honestly, we guess that the information on About.Com got posted a number of years ago when reverse osmosis water filtration systems did cost a small fortune — but those days have come and gone.

Nowadays the average homeowner can pick up an NSF/ANSI Certified point-of-use reverse osmosis water treatment for under $300.

As an example, the Pentek RO-3500 bears the NSF Mark (NSF/ANSI STANDARD 058) for its reduction of Arsenic (Pentavalent), Barium, Cadmium, Copper, Chromium (Hexavalent), Chromium (Trivalent), Cyst, Fluoride, Lead, Nitrate/Nitrite, Radium 226/228, Selenium, TDS, and Turbidity.

It also bears a second NSF Mark (NSF/ANSI STANDARD 042) for reduction of taste, odor and chlorine.

The first step towards choosing a water filter system?

Get your water tested by a certified water testing laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories to see what, if any, unwanted drinking water contaminants your water contains.

As the debate over the benefits and problems associated with use of free chlorine ( EPA Approved test strip for free chlorine ) as a disinfectant in public and private drinking water systems rages on and more people become aware of compounds known as disinfection byproducts, the desire for point-of-use water filtration systems capable of removing disinfection byproducts continues to grow.

One particular disinfection byproduct of, trihalomethanes (often abbreviated as THM’s or TTHM’s), has gained enough notoriety that companies like PUR have started certifying some of their products to NSF/ANSI Standards for the reduction of trihalomethanes in drinking water.

Below you will find a list of several PUR water filtration products that have tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 (Drinking Water Treatment Units – Health Effects) for the reduction of TTHM’s and other unwanted drinking water contaminants:

• PUR CR-6000 Filtered Water Pitcher

• PUR CR-6000C Filtered Water Pitcher with LED Light

• PUR Faucet Mount Filter 3-Stage – Flavor Options

• PUR Faucet Mount Filter 3-Stage Horizontal Chrome

• PUR Faucet Mount Filter System 3-Stage Chrome

• PUR Faucet Mount Filter System 2-Stage White

For those unfamiliar with how trihalomethanes get into drinking water, they get created when free chlorine molecules attack, neutralize and become entangled with a biological contaminant. That process chain of events converts free chlorine into combined chlorine and in the process disinfection byproducts get created.

What harm can trihalomethanes in drinking water cause?

Four different trihalomethanes can form as a result of chlorination: Chloroform, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, and Bromoform. The United States Environmental Protection has found that excessive exposure to these compounds has resulted laboratory rats developing cancer.

While many scientists may disagree on the exactly how much exposure to each compound constitutes overexposure, we think it wise to keep tabs on your local water treatment system’s track record of trihalomethane level management (data available in annual reports) and if deemed necessary, install an NSF certified water treatment system capable of reducing trhalomethane levels.

Recently we received an unusual question from a reader named Leo G and he asked, “When is the next water testing competition and how can I make an entry?”

We suppose this email comes as a result of our postings about the results of previous water quality testing competitions…

• Water Taste Test Winner Announced in Connecticut

• Wisconsin Water Department Wins Tap Water Taste Test

• 20th Annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition

To answer Leo’s question directly, quite honestly we have absolutely NO IDEA how a person, or water department, would go about entering their water into one of those competitions.

As a good place to begin researching that task, though, try visiting the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting web page. You could also call The Country Inn at Berkeley Springs where the annual event gets held: 304-258-2210 or 866-458-2210.

As far as other water tasting competitions go, we suggest contacting the sponsoring organization directly since they, better than anyone else, will know the ins and outs of registering a water sample for their respective competitions.

Improving the taste of your water?

Many people in the United States still believe they have to put up with the offensive taste and smell of chlorine in their drinking water. Why? Because somewhere along the lines someone told them that removing/reducing the taste and smell chlorine in their water would cost them a small fortune.

Sorry, but unless they got that knowledge 20 or more years ago, someone lied to them. Many relatively inexpensive options exist for removing/reducing the smell of chlorine in drinking water.

NSF/ANSI certified AND affordable?

Since we know some of you have already thought, “Yeah, but if we want a unit that has certified to an NSF/ANSI Standard for chlorine reduction we WILL have to spend a small fortune, right?”

Nope. Not at all. As a matter of fact, the average person can choose from a number of easy-to-install and highly affordable faucet filters that have certified to NSF/ANSI Standards for the reduction of potential contaminants in drinking water.

As an example, the PUR FM-3700B Faucet Filter has certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 53 for the reduction of the more than 30 unwanted drinking water contaminants — and the unit costs around $30 most places we checked.

Aside from the unit’s obvious filtering capabilities, we also like the fact that its users can easily replace the PUR Faucet Filter Replacements 3-Stage Filters without having to take out a second mortgage on the house.

A 3-pack of PUR Faucet Replacement Filters (RF-9999) costs around $40 dollars and each filter has an average life expectancy of around 100 gallons depending upon the condition of source water.

Recently we received a request for information on a test kit that we had never considered looking for — until now. So naturally, we just HAD to go and see if we could find the test kit.

“Dear Alll, I’m looking for a kit for antimony determination in drinking water to comply with the Italian Standards of 5 microgram/L. Best Regards, Andrea V.”

Wow. Antimony? We told you no one ever asked about a test kit for it before… so as just said, after receiving that inquiry we needed to spend some time doing research before we could answer their question.

The only test kit we located required a person to take a sample and send it off to a laboratory for analysis. See Premium Drinking Water Test Kit on TestCountry.Com for additional information on the only test kit for antimony that we could find… unless you wanted to start your own analytical chemistry lab!

The Premium Drinking Water Test Kit tests for 19 drinking water parameters: Antimony, Arsenic, Beryllium, Copper, Lead, Thallium, Uranium, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Mercury, Nickel, Selenium, Aluminum, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Fluoride, and pH levels.

Where does antimony come from?

From what we read, antimony occurs naturally in the environment as ore deposits in the ground which ground water can erode and pick up as passes over, around or through the deposits.

Industry mines and refines antimony into compounds such as antimony trioxide, a compound commonly used as a flame retardant. Other uses of antimony include batteries, coloring agents (pigments) and in the manufacturing of ceramics and glass.

What harm can antimony cause?

Prolonged exposure to drinking water containing excessive amounts antimony over a number of years may result in elevated blood cholesterol levels and abnormally low blood sugar counts.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for antimony in drinking water?

Earlier in this posting Andrea mentioned that the Italian Standard allows for a maximum of 5 micrograms/liter. The United States EPA has set the Maximum Contaminant Level for antimony in drinking water at 6 parts per billion, or 6 micrograms per liter.

Why the stricter guidelines in Europe? Not sure, but we suspect that the US will follow suit in due time. That, and we think the US will place greater restrictions on the use and disposal of antimony by industry, too.

How can a person remove antimony if found in their water supply? According to what we read, one method involves coagulating the metal with a sequestering compound and then filtering out the resultant precipitate.

A method that sounds a whole lot simpler involves using a reverse osmosis filtration system such as the Pentek RO-3500 which, conveniently, has also certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 58 for the reduction of Pentavalent Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Copper, Hexavalent & Trivalent Chromium, Cyst, Fluoride, Lead, Nitrate/Nitrite, Radium 226/228, Selenium, TDS and Turbidity.

You can find other reverse osmosis water treatment units on the WaterFilters.Net and FiltersFast.Com web sites.

Earlier this year, or more likely towards the tail end of last year, we posted an article about the PUR Pitcher Water Filter with PUR Flavor Options which boasts certification to NSF Standards 42 and 53… and doesn’t cost a small fortune.

As we quickly discovered, though, the real appeal of this unit to most people lies in its ability to impart a variety of flavors into the water (i.e. strawberry, grape and lemon). In the words of someone we met recently while looking at water filters in a local department store — because we had nothing better to do while waiting to get tires put on the car — “The taste of truly clean tasting water bores me. I truly prefer the flavored brands of filtered water in the stores and if something like this ( CR-5000 PUR Pitcher Water Filter with PUR Flavor Options ) can make my water taste better, think of the cash I’ll save on bottled water!”

Why did we bring this product back into the limelight? Quite simply, a reader named Mark asked, “is your PUR Pitcher Water Filter with PUR Flavor Options available at stores in montreal, Canada? thank you”

Well, Mark, we would imagine that you could find a local merchant that carries the CR-5000 PUR Pitcher Water Filter, but we cannot say which one.

We tried using the ‘locate a store’ function on the PUR corporate site but got nowhere since we don’t know any specific zip codes in Montreal

Fears triggered by sporadic news stories about bacterial contamination of public water supplies and horror stories about well water troubles have resulted in many people taking a serious look at investing in a UV Water Treatment System for their home and/or place of business.

The question for most people becomes, “What qualities do I look for in a UV Water Treatment System?”

No simple answer exists for that question, but one thing we definitely suggest people look for… a UV water treatment system that bears the NSF Mark. Specifically, we suggest checking to see that any unit under consideration has certified to NSF Standard 55.

Water treatment systems certifying to NSF Standard 55 have passed rigorous testing conducted by a reputable, independent laboratory that proves the devices give off the correct frequency and amount of UV illumination required to effectively kill and/or sterilize bacteria present in a water supply.

A lot of people fear coliform bacteria… because so many water treatment companies have blurred the terms ‘coliform bacteria’ and E. Coli. While true that E. Coli does exist as a part of the coliform bacteria family, one should NOT assume that both terms mean the same thing.

According to the EPA web site, “Coliforms are naturally present in the environment; as well as feces; fecal coliforms and E. coli only come from human and animal fecal waste.”

That means coliforms will occur in the absence of fecal matter, or fecal matter contamination, but they may not necessarily indicate that a water supply will make a person sick. The presence of coliforms in a water supply do, however, give good reason for a person to have their water tested by a certified water testing lab — to check for the presence of E. Coli.

Testing for Coliform Bacteria

First and foremost we want to stress that you should trust the results of no test other than an analysis performed by a certified water testing laboratory to tell you that your water supply definitely contains no harmful E. Coli bacteria.

At-home drinking water test kits containing a product such as the EZ Coliform Bacteria Test still serve a purpose, though, since they allow well owners and concerned municipal water customers to perform on-the-spot field tests for coliforms without having to come out of pocket for expensive lab test each time they would like to check on the quality of their water.

Basically speaking, if an inexpensive test kit like the EZ Coliform Bacteria Test Kit yields positive results, concerned parties should then seek the assistance of a certified water testing lab.

Can at-home test kits detect E. Coli, too?

As a matter of fact, the EZ Coliform Bacteria Test Kit can positively identify E. Coli in a water supply when used in conjunction with a UV light source such as the Sensafe NVF-4 Handheld UV Light.

If after the 24 to 48 hour waiting period the sample gives off an iridescence when exposed to ultraviolet light, it contains E. Coli.

One could also use something called a Kovacs Reagent with the to EZ Coliform Bacteria Test Kit confirm the presence of E. Coli in a water sample.

Recently we received a request for a quote on 5,000 DPD #1 Tablets for chlorine (or possibly another oxidizer) level testing. We’d like to remind remind everyone that although we link to a number of water quality products, Water Testing Blog does not stock or sell any products.

The party asking about DPD #1 Tablets sought to import them into a foreign country so we suggested they contact companies on the following page:

( http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/dpd-tablets.html )

… so they could attempt to save a few bucks (or whatever currency they use) on shipping.

Now having said that, when it comes to DPD #1 we believe anyone thinking about using DPD tablets should at least consider using DPD-1 ReagentStrips in their place. ReagentStrips dissolve faster and easier than tablets (especially in hard or cold water) and contain no filler materials that could interfere with photometric optics.

As far as performance, the manufacturer of DPD-1 ReagentStrips, Industrial Test Systems, Inc., had an independent laboratory conduct a blind water sampling study using DPD ReagentStrips, Tablets and Powder Pillows. In the end the ReagentStrips tested as good, and in some cases better, than other DPD reagent delivery methods.

For those keeping tabs on the whole ‘fluoride overexposure’ issue, and especially those concerned about it, the following article ought to please you immensely.

In a recent announcement, the United States Environmental Protection Agency stated that it had taken another look at the topic of fluoride exposure and determined that with all the other sources of fluoride in our surroundings, allowing traces of fluoride in the form of a commonly used pesticide (sulfuryl fluoride) no longer makes sense.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has re-evaluated the current science on fluoride and is taking steps to begin a phased-down withdrawal of the pesticide sulfuryl fluoride, a pesticide that breaks down into fluoride and is commonly used in food storage and processing facilities. Sulfuryl fluoride is currently registered for the control of insect pests in stored grains, dried fruits, tree nuts, coffee and cocoa beans, and for use in food handling and processing facilities. Although sulfuryl fluoride residues in food contribute only a very small portion of total exposure to fluoride, when combined with other fluoride exposure pathways, including drinking water and toothpaste, EPA has concluded that the tolerance (legal residue limits on food) no longer meets the safety standard under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) and the tolerances for sulfuryl fluoride should be withdrawn. ( source )

So… if the EPA has admitted that it needs to reconsider its position on fluoride in drinking water, then perhaps we, as Americans, ought to wonder exactly how much fluoride our water contains, right? We think so. Ask your local water treatment facility for a copy of its annual Water Quality Report or for the web address where you can download a copy.

Visit the EPA SafeWater Program Web Site for information on water quality in your area.

Testing for fluoride

Unfortunately the SPADNS chemistry required to perform fluoride testing in water does not lend itself to the development of a simple test strip or visual method… but that does not mean the average person cannot test for fluoride in their drinking water.

Over the past few months we have discussed the fact that a relatively inexpensive multiparameter water testing meter known as the eXact Micro 7+ has the ability to test for fluoride. Fluoride Test Strips for eXact Micro 7+ Photometer required and sold separately (under $15 for 25 tests) on the FiltersFast.Com web site.

As of January 17, 2011, the National Safety Products web site ( FilterWater.Com ) has the eXact Micro 7+ Meter on sale for about $240 for the basic kit.

In one of our recent postings, Meter to Test Chromium in Water, we mentioned something called a ‘ReagentStrip’… and within a hours of our article hitting the blog we had half a dozen people asking us to explain the difference between a ‘reagentstrip’ and a ‘test strip’ — if one exists.

Well a difference certainly does exist and since testing for hexavalent chromium (also known as chromium 6 and chromium (VI)) has become such a hot topic recently, we will outline the differences between Chromium ReagentStrips (available at FilterWater.Com) and Chromium Test Strips (available at TestProducts.Com).

Primary difference between reagentstrips and test strips?

Simply put, a test strip determines the value of a specific water quality parameter by getting dipped into a sample and having the color of its test area, also called a test pad, compared to a color chart, color wheel, or other visual colorimetric standard while a reagentstrip delivers controlled amounts of reagents to a pre-measured sample and the sample, after reagent delivery, gets placed in a meter or other device and its color gets analyzed.

• Test Strips — Dip, read and compare a portion of the strip visually.

• ReagentStrips — Delivery method for reagents into a test sample. Resultant color change in test sample gets analyzed visually or by a meter.

Which is a better testing device?

Not really a fair comparison, if you want the truth. Each has its benefits and each has its downfalls while both testing methods, if used properly, will yield results worth having.

In the case of testing for Chromium (VI),

• Chromium Test Strips work well as an on-the-spot visual screening method for hexavalent chromium… but they have limitations related to the testing party’s ability to interpret colors.

• Chromium ReagentStrips require the use of a specific testing meter, the eXact Micro 7+ water testing meter, but the results of testing have practically no subjectivity since the meter and not a person analyzes the test sample. The reagentstrip did nothing except add required chemical reagents to the sample before analysis.