We have had many people ask us about potential problems and/or dangers associated with the presence of iron in drinking water since we started the Water Testing Blog. We attribute the public’s interest in iron in drinking water to its ability to stain fixtures, clog certain types of filters, stain clothes, ruin the taste of food and beverages, cause water to have an unpleasant taste, etc.

Despite all those drawbacks to the presence of iron in drinking water, it does not, at least according to the current Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Standards set forth by the USEPA, pose much of a health risk.

Note: The USEPA has set the Maximum Contaminant Level for iron in drinking water at 0.3 ppm in their Secondary Drinking Water Standards, which deal more with aesthetic properties of water than with health-related issues.

Most often when testing for iron people will test for Ferrous Iron:

* Ferrous — This form of iron results in the most complaints and reasons for examination of water for iron content. If allowed to remain in a state with little oxygen present, this type of iron remains in solution and the water will appear colorless. However, in the case of tap water allowed to remain in service lines coming from a well or other source, rust colored iron particles may begin to precipitate out of solution. These particles obviously ruin water clarity and give the impression of unsafe drinking water. Additionally, they clog certain types of water filtration systems and cause the owners of those water filtration systems to replace them well in advance of their expected replacement dates. Water professionals often refer to this type of iron in water as ‘clear iron’. ( source )

To test for the presence of iron in water yourself, you can choose from several different methods:

• Liquid, Tablet and/or Powder Test Kits — see Taylor Iron K-1716 Test Kit
• Electronic Meters — see eXact Micro 7+ and Color Q PRO 11
• Test Strips — see Ida’s Iron, Iron Check, AquaChek Iron, and Visual Total Iron

Whether listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a serious health concern or just a general nuisance, most people care about only one thing: Testing for metals in drinking water and removing them ASAP!

Commonly asked about metals include…

Questions about other metals such as manganese, copper, chromium and, of course, our dear friend arsenic, also make their way into emails sent through our Contact Us page.

Why the Concern Over Metals in Water?

Health officials unanimously agree that excessive exposure to dissolved metals in water can in many cases lead to serious side effects such as cancer, organ damage, impairment of the nervous system, the development of a life-threatening condition where the immune system attacks its own cells, a reduction in the growth and development of cells, joint problems/diseases, circulatory system problems, and last, but definitely not least… death.

Younger people stand to suffer the effects of exposure to metals more than adults do to their small body masses. In other words, an 8 oz glass of water containing X ppm (parts per million) of heavy metals will result in a much higher dose in a child than it will in an adult who drinks the same glass of water.

Some health officials theorize that very young children and unborn babies whose bodies develop at a rapid pace absorb the metals readily into their systems. Exposure of this nature often results in learning difficulties, damaged nervous systems, memory deficiencies, and even behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and aggressiveness.

More Information on Metals in Water:

• Lead Testing in Humans… Without Needles
• Study Links Manganese Exposure to Cancer
• Chromium in Drinking Water
• Mercury Found in Fish From All 291 US Streams & Rivers Tested
• Filters for Mercury in Drinking Water
• Copper in Drinking Water
• Information About Mercury
• Visual Test Kit for Lead in Paint
• Rust Color in Drinking Water

IRONPro manufactures a unique chemical-free water filtration system that improves water quality in home, agriculture, business, and other applications that rely on well water.

LWC Ltd. began developing a unique Iron and sulfur filtration system in 1995 called the OXI System. The OXI System uses a chemical free process to remove Iron, Hydrogen Sulfide, and Manganese from problem water applications. In 2000, LWC Ltd. was issued patents covering the system as well as its unique air injection method. The system is now marketed under the IRONPro trademark.

IRONPro is the new alternative to traditional water filtration equipment which requires the use of catalysts such as salt or caustic chemicals. ( source )

You can find more information about the OXI System at IRONPro’s web site.

For those intereted in rapid testing methods for iron, manganese, and/or sulfur in drinking water… We suggest you take a look at the following test kits:

Test Kit for Managnese in Water

Test Kit for Iron in Water

Hydrogen Sulfide in Water Test Kit $13.55 $12.75

]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2009/10/19/ironpro-filtration-systems-remove-iron-manganese-and-hydrogen-sulfide/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/06/metals-in-pool-water/ http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/06/metals-in-pool-water/#respond Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:25:33 +0000 http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/06/metals-in-pool-water/ For the longest time pool and spa owners had to rely on the chemical testing skills and expertise of their local pool and spa professionals but those days have passed. Now homeowners can test their own pool and spa water for metals — without having to take a year’s worth of chemistry courses!

* The Pool Check^TM Copper test strips offer fast, accurate test results for copper, pH and alkalinity at a reasonable cost.

* The Pool Check^TM Pro Metals test strips offer fast, accurate semiquantitative test results for ‘all’ metals at once. It does not specify which metal(s) it detects, but it does give pool owners a better idea of how much staining potential their pool water has.

* The eXact^R Micro 7 pool and spa testing meter tests for many parameters including iron and copper.

* Other testing methods include using ‘wet’ chemistry kits from companies like Lamotte and Taylor, but they typically involve slightly more advanced testing techniques such as titrations. Wet kits also make use of messy dpd liquids, difficult to dissolve dpd tablets, and awkward dpd powder pillows.

For those who suspect that their source water contains metals, the SenSafe^TM Metals Check test strip will work quite well. It detects the metals commonly found in tap water and well water and provides accurate metals testing results in under 3 minutes.

Can Metals Stains in Pools be Removed?

For the most part, yes. The task will take effort, though, in some cases.

Vinyl liners typically resist staining quite well but the stains that do set in will not come off without a fight. Pool owners must use sequestering compounds and/or chelating compounds which attach themselves to the metal stains/deposits and more or less pull them back into solution. (See Jack’s Magic)

Owners of concrete and gunite pools suffer even worse fates when it comes to metals staining. Typically they must wash the stains away using diluted muriatic acid — and in some cases that means draining the pool completely before they can begin.

Due to the annoyance, expense and inconvenience associated with the removal of metals stains from pool liners and plastic fixtures, swimming pool professionals recommend testing for metals on a regular basis if the pool has a heater, uses a copper or silver ionizer, or has recently had water added to it that may have contained dissolved metals.

Copper Test Strips for Pools

Taylor Test Kit for Copper

Iron Test Strips for Pools

]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2008/06/06/metals-in-pool-water/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2008/04/22/testing-for-metals-in-drinking-water/ http://watertestingblog.com/2008/04/22/testing-for-metals-in-drinking-water/#respond Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:45:13 +0000 http://watertestingblog.com/2008/04/22/testing-for-metals-in-drinking-water/ Everyone knows that water has the potential to carry a great number of things that can make us sick.  Water makes its way around the world picking up bacteria, man-made chemicals and other nasty things. . . but did you know that it also picks up and transfers metals that can cause birth defects, premature birth of babies, life-threatening conditions in adults, and other problems?

What metals could do all that?  Scientists debate that question quite often, but the point of the matter is that you don’t want ANY of the metals, debated or otherwise, in your water.

Sources of Metal Contamination in Drinking Water:

Metals find their way into your water supply in a number of ways.  While the water may have left its source (well, city reservoir, etc.) w/o metals in it, the instant it touched ANY metal it automatically picked up some ions — especially if the water had an unusually high or low pH for any reason.

Even if you think your house has all (new) PVC fittings and piping, keep in mind that your water provider does not use PVC piping to run the water from itself to your doorstep.  Oh, and those metal fittings called ‘faucets’ and the screens inside them contain metal as well. (reference)

So as you can see, consumers ought to consider doing a general test for metal ions their drinking water.  Critters such as aluminum, lead, cadmium and so forth can pop up from a number of sources and according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Health Professionals worldwide, people need to limit the amounts of metals they ingest.

Simple Test for Metals in Water:

Just a few short years ago consumers had to rely upon the ‘wisdom’ and ‘training’ of water system consultants (salesmen!) to tell them if they had metals in their drinking water. . . or they could shell out some serious dough and send their water off to a local lab for a complete and thorough analysis — which would tell them more information than they needed, yet probably wouldn’t tell them anything they could use to decide if they had problems with their water.

Thankfully those days have come to an end.  Consumers now have the option of testing their own drinking water for metals at a cost they can afford, and with an amount of ease they can tolerate.  A simple dip-n-read test strip for metals in water that detects levels as low as 10 ppb (typically reverse osmosis water is at this level or lower) and as high as 1,000 ppb (1 ppm) is readily available from a number of vendors.

While SenSafe(TM) Water Metals Check will not tell you specifically what metals your water contains, it will let you know that you may have a reason to have your water looked at by a water industry professional.

Testing for Specific Metals in Drinking Water

For those wishing to test for specific metals in their drinking water, please use the links below to locate information about ion-specific metals in water test kits:

• Arsenic in Water
• Chromium in Water 
• Copper in Water
• Iron in Water
• Lead in Water
• Manganese in Water
• Mercury in Water