Over the past 2 years we have mentioned test strips for commonly tested water parameters such as chlorine, pH, water hardness, bacteria, and heavy metals on a regular basis. Recently someone asked us if we knew of test strips for other, less commonly tested water parameters.

Without knowing exactly WHICH unusual water parameters to look for we just started searching for odd water contaminants and came up with the following:

No one in their right mind would argue that testing water for drinking, use in a pool, watering crops, etc. has to happen. One might, however, argue that using test strips and liquid test kits which require the user to match colors can lead to approximations and assumptions regarding critical water parameters such as pH, chlorine/bromine/sanitizer levels, alkalinity, total hardness, heavy metals, etc.

We all know what assumptions can lead to: Making an a## out of you and me.

No one wants to get sick from dirty or polluted water so when accuracy matters most, you may want to put down the test strips and liquid test kits and opt for a verstile water testing meter such as the eXact Micro 7+ which tests for NINE critical water parameters using direct read measurements and an additional TWENTY-SEVEN other important water parameters with the use of a conversion chart.

Features of the eXact Micro 7+ Water Testing Meter:

• Tests for 36 parameters in total

• Nine direct read parameters — Total Alkalinity, Bromine, Calcium Hardness, Free Chlorine, Total Chlorine, Copper, Ozone, Permanganate, and pH

• Twenty-Seven parameters using a conversion chart: Ammonia, Chloride (as NaCl), Chlorine Dioxide (DPD-1), Chromium Hexavalent, Cyanuric Acid, Fluoride, Hydrazine, Hydrogen Peroxide (Low, Mid and High Range), Iodine (DPD-1), Iron (Fe+2), Total Iron (Fe+2/Fe+3), LR Total Hardness (as CaCO3), Magnesium, Manganese, Nitrate (as NO3), Nitrite (as NO2), pH (Acid and Alkali), Potassium, Protein (as BSA), Sulfate, Sulfide, and Turbidity

• USEPA Compliant meter for Free & Total Chlorine — 0.01 ppm (mg/L) precision

• Built-in, permanent cell — no loose glass or plastic cells to lose

• Easy fill testing — Simply fill or dip meter into water

• Automatic countdown timer for accurate timing of testing

• 140 test memory — saves 20 tests per menu item

• Incorporates eXact® Strip technology — safe & reliable reagent dispersion

• No-slip grip housing — ideal for wet testing conditions

• Lightweight — weighs only 6 ounces w/ batteries installed

• Waterproof — IP-67 Rated and meter will float if dropped into water

• Easy-to-read LCD display — no color matching required

• Environmentally friendly — recyclable parts & uses 60% less reagents than 10mL sample tests

• Proprietary optics — allows for accurate testing without cap

• CE certification

Interested in learning how this device works? Check out the image below as it takes you through the steps of how to test w/ the eXact Micro 7+ Water Testing Meter.

Thoughts of testing water for specific chemical parameters scares a lot of folks because they remember all the horrible nights they spent cramming for an upcoming Chemistry test in high school and/or college. Trust us when we say, “We feel your pain. Been there and done that.”

You should also trust us, though, when we say you don’t need complicated chemistry sets or highly specialized training to find out if your tap water contains dangerous levels of things like:

Now, of course, should the results of your home water testing for key water parameters yield results above expected and/or acceptable limits, you will most certainly want to have a certified water professional perform more advanced tests on your drinking water and at no time should you rely on home water quality test kits if you have serious reason to suspect that your water contains know carcinogens or other life threatening contaminants. Leave that sort of testing up to the Water Testing Professionals in your area.

A quantitative testing method for the presence of peroxides in organic solvents and ethers exists as well:

EM Quant^R Peroxide Test, 0.5ppm to 25ppm

Note: The following instructions come from Galade Chemical, a distributor of the above product, and the authors of Water Testing Blog present them ‘as is’, with no expressed or implied guarantees of accuracy.

Volatile Ethers

Immerse a test strip for approximately 1 second in the solvent being tested and allow to evaporate.

Breathe on the reaction zone 4 times for 3-5 seconds each time. Alternatively, immerse briefly in distilled water.

Compare the reaction zone with the color scale.

Low Volatility Ethers

A. Immiscible with water.

Mix a sample of the ether to be tested with 3 times its volume of peroxide-free ether or petroleum benzine (boiling range 40-60°C).

Test as described under “Volatile ethers.”

Record the value indicated on the scale and multiply by 4.

B. Miscible with water

Mix a sample of the ether to be tested with 3 times its volume of distilled water.

Immerse a test strip for approximately 1 second.

Wait 2 minutes and compare with the color scale.

Convert the results as under “Conversion.”

Conversion

Allowing for dilution, 3mg/l on the color scale is equivalent to:

90mg/l tetrahydrofuran peroxide or 30mg/l peroxide calculated as H2O2

150mg/l dioxan peroxide or 45mg/l peroxide calculated as H2O2.

In a previous post we hinted at the existence of a testing procedure for the presence of peroxides in organic solvents. For safety and liability reasons we opted not to go into detail about it, as our areas of expertise deal with testing for specific water parameters and not for specific parameters of other liquids such as organic solvents.

Peroxides formed in/over organic solvents can lead to very dangerous, explosive situations and although we will now discuss (briefly) a testing method for peroxides in organic solvents, we suggest that all parties concerned over such matters consult with the manufacturer(s) of their chemicals for better, more detailed testing, storage and safety information.

For hydroperoxide determination in organic solvents, moisten the test pad of the WaterWorks^TM Peroxide Check test strip with the solvent. Allow the solvent to evaporate and dry. Moisten the test pad with a drop of distilled water. The formation of a blue tint or color on the test pad indicates the presence of hydroperoxide.

The above test procedure provides qualitative results, not quantitative results, and serves as a presence/absence testing method only.

A while has passed since the last outbreak of a foodborne illness struck and made the news and events like this one have resulted in new policies and regulations for produce handlers, growers, packers, etc. getting created in California. See Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (LGMA) for additional details.

“In 2007 California farmers came together to raise the bar for food safety. As a result the California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement (LGMA) was formed. Members of the LGMA are working collaboratively to protect public health by reducing potential sources of contamination in California-grown leafy greens.

To date nearly 120 handlers, representing over 99% of the volume of California leafy greens, have joined the LGMA. These companies have committed themselves to sell products grown in compliance with the food safety practices accepted by the LGMA board. LGMA membership requires verification of compliance with the accepted food safety practices through mandatory government audits. These food safety practices were developed by university and industry scientists, food safety experts and farmers, shippers and processors. California leafy greens are now grown under a unique system that has become a model for leafy green growers in other states.” ( source )

What does any of this have to do with water testing? Quite a bit, actually.

• All fresh produce gets rinsed several times during processing with water containing some form of disinfectant. At the end of each rinsing stage, the water must used must get tested to make sure it still has a certain amount of residual disinfectant. This helps to ‘guarantee’ the cleanliness of the product.
• The machinery and equipment (bins, conveyor belts, cutting tools, etc.) used during the processing of the fresh produce must get washed down thoroughly with water containing a certain concentration of sanitizer and then rinsed clean w/ sanitizer-free water until all traces of sanitizer have been removed.
• Gloves, boots, etc. worn by the staff working in produce packing houses must get sanitized with, and later rinsed clean of, sanitizers.

Commonly used sanitizers and disinfectants in the food preparation/processing industries include chlorine, chlorine dioxide, quaternary ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and ozone.

Many people use hydrogen peroxide to treat/clean cuts and scratches, but did you know that it also functions as a ‘shock’ treatment in pools and spas? While not used in conjunction with chlorine or bromine, biguanide based sanitizer systems make use of hydrogen peroxide’s strong oxidizing power roughly every other week.

Why is Peroxide Needed

Peroxide works as a shock to the system. Its strong oxidation potential makes it ideal for ‘burning’ organics out of the water that the polymer based sanitizer could not get rid of.

How Can One Test for Peroxide in Swimming Pools?

A good product for testing peroxide levels in swimming pools goes by the commercial name of WaterWorks^TM Peroxide Check and has the ability to detect hydrogen peroxide levels as low as 0.5 ppm and as high as 100 ppm.

WaterWorks^TM Peroxide Check Test Strips

What is a ‘Safe’ Level of Peroxide in Swimming Pools?

The answer to that question depends on the exact type and brand of biguanide system you use in your pool or spa. We have heard that most biguanide systems recommend hitting and/or reaching a peroxide level of 30 ppm, but we HIGHLY suggest you speak with your local pool and spa dealer, or the company who manufactures the peroxide you use, and ask them. . . just to be sure.

Some people think fresh, clean fruits and vegetables grow on trees and that water purity has no effect on its quality. OK, so we exaggerated a bit. You’ll get over it.

In areas where water does not freely fall from the sky at produce growers’ commands, long lines of pipe and hose run deep into the hearts of crop fields so that all the plants may drink… water.

For the most part, all fruits and vegetables sprout up from, and spend most of their life in and around dirt, mud, dust and soil — until they get picked and thrown in bins for ‘processing’. At that point they get washed off with… water mixed with various sanitizers/disinfectants such as ozone, chlorine, chlorine dioxide and quaternary ammonia.

Then, once the produce reaches a packing house, and before the fruits and vegetables get chopped, sliced, diced, cubed, quartered and/or canned, they get thoroughly washed with… water containing sanitizers/disinfectants and then rinsed one more time with pure… water so that they have no traces of the potentially harmful (if ingested) sanitizers/disinfectants left on them.

So there you have it, folks. Water plays an integral part of the produce life cycle. Therefore, do you not think it important to monitor the quality of the water used to clean, rinse and process your produce?

So What Parameters Typically Get Tested?

Total Hardness — Very important for any farming or agricultural activity where water gets distributed via some sort of irrigation/watering system. High hardness levels can lead to deposits forming in the nozzles and over time the nozzles may become completely clogged. Find total hardness test strips

pH — Some folks question the importance of monitoring pH but ask people who grow grapes used for the production of wine and you’ll discover that variances in pH affect the taste of a grape dramatically… and that changes the taste and drinkability of the wine. Find pH test strips

Sanitizers/Disinfectants — At the washing stage produce handlers test their water to make sure it contains enough sanitizers/disinfectants. Then, at the rinsing stage, they test their water again to make certain the produce does not have any sanitizer/disinfectant residual on it. The presence of leftover chemical cleaning agents on the produce would lead to premature spoiling. Find chlorine test strips, ozone test strips, chlorine dioxide test strips and peroxide test strips.

Stay tuned for upcoming blog postings on water quality testing and the food processing industry! You won’t want to miss ‘em — especially if you like MEAT!

People use peroxide for a number of applications including, but not limited to:

• sanitizer/disinfectant in a potable water systems, medical facilities, food processing facilities

• Cleansing agent in silicon wafer manufacturing facilities

• Part of a cyanide in water destruction system

• Sanitizer in a swimming pool or hot tub

Peroxide Test Strips 0.5ppm to 100ppm

In each of these applications the concentration of peroxide matters. Therefore anyone using peroxide as a disinfectant/sanitizer typically needs to measure its concentration.

Testing for Peroxide in Water?

Depending on one’s application, one of the following products ought to work quite well: Peroxide Check, Peroxide Check Low Range or Peroxide Check High Range.

Combined, all three products allow users to accurately detect peroxide concentrations as low as 0.05 ppm and as high as 30,000 ppm (3% solution).

Testing for Peroxide in Organic Solvents?

Due to the potentially volatile nature of some organic solvents, laboratory personnel must check certain organic solvents such as ethers, cyclohexanol, benzyl alcohol, styrene, and others for the presenece of peroxides.

These compounds can form dangerously high levels of peroxides when exposed to various naturally occurring elements such as light, heat, or the introduction of a contaminant. High levels of organic peroxides create a dangerous situation because even the slightest change in heat, vibration and/or friction can trigger an explosion. (See this Peroxide Formation Information Page for more information on the hazards associated with the formation of peroxides in organic solvents.)

Typical chemical indicators/compounds that work in aqueous environments (water) often come from organic solvents, thus making them water insoluble and useful for testing in water. If those same indicators find themselves in placed back into organic solvents, they will, as a general rule, go back into solution.

Procedures for peroxide testing in organic solvents do exist, but for legal & safety reasons we cannot list them.