Common examples of VOC’s include toluene and benzene — both of which scientists have positively identified as carcinogens.

Over the past week or so we received numerous emails from readers asking how can they test for VOC’s and how can they remove VOC’s if detected in their water supply. In this blog article we will focus on testing for VOC’s in drinking water and in an article coming soon we will address the matter of reducing VOC concentrations in drinking water.

Testing for volatile organic compounds

Due to the complex nature and relatively low concentrations of these compounds typically found in drinking water, no simple at-home water test kits exist for volatile organic compounds. To test for them, the average homeowner has two choices:

1. Have water tested by a local water testing laboratory. You can usually obtain a list of qualified local laboratories by contacting your local Health Department or agency responsible environmental monitoring.
    
2. Send a water sample by mail to a company like National Testing Laboratories for analysis.

When dealing with volatile organic compounds one must always remember that even the most reputable certified water testing laboratory will not have the ability to test for all of the possible compounds that could end up in the water supply.

Literally, and we mean this, the current full list of volatile organic compounds contains thousands of chemicals… and the list grows larger all the time.

Therefore, most laboratories offer testing packages that include a number of the more commonly used (in industry, manufacturing, etc.) volatile organic compounds that could turn up in drinking water. As an example, National Testing Laboratories‘ line of Watercheck Testing Packages offers testing packages that include as many as 47 VOC’s.

Below you will find a list of contaminants reduced or removed by the Watercheck w/ Pesticides Testing Package offered by National Testing Laboratories, a kit we think very well suited for use by anyone who fears potential water supply contamination by industry, intention, agriculture, or accident:

Watercheck Testing Package w/ Pesticides — 103 Parameters

Do you know what scares us most? This list does not take into account several other ‘families’ of potentially dangerous drinking water contaminants… like radioactive isotopes.

Moral of the story

Whether we like it or not, water pollution exists and although the majority of United States citizens do have safe, clean drinking water pouring from their faucets, accidents happen, mechanical devices fail, incentives/bribes make some folks turn a blind eye to environmental violations, and sometimes… sh#t happens — like when runoff containing animal or human waste winds up in a lake that feeds people’s private water systems… or when that same contaminated runoff seeps down into aquifers where traces of the excrement multiply and wait to get pulled to the surface by a private water well… or when that same runoff lingers in a lake, pond or stream where its bacteria multiply and eventually drift towards a popular swimming spot…

Need we say more?

The option of testing for water quality exists for most of us and depending upon what you think you may want to test for, it may cost a lot less than you think. Contact the Water Testing Blog and we will do our best to help you find the perfect water test kit for your unique water quality situation — even if we don’t carry anything for it in our own Water Test Kit Store.

It’s your water, your health, and ultimately… your LIFE!

Allegedly, political figures in the 11,000-resident village of Crestwood located roughly 20 miles south of Chicago hoped to score brownie points with local voters by showing how the water commission had kept water rates low… by mixing water from a well previously determined to contain unwanted carcinogenic compounds with more expensive, but much cleaner water from Lake Michigan.

Estimates put the annual savings netted by this deceptive little scheme at around $400,000 per year and although residents certainly did enjoy the ride afforded them by lower water bills for a number of years, many Crestwood residents now harbor a tremendous amount of ill will towards the longtime supervisor of the water department (Theresa Neubauer) and the man who served as the water department’s certified water operator (Frank Scaccia).

Both Theresa and Frank now face up to 5 years per count for making false statements to environmental regulators. The court found Theresa guilty of 11 counts so she could face up to 55 years in prison while Frank previously plead guilty to 1 count and could face up to 5 years in prison.

Was Justice served, though?

While it may make some folks happy to see trusted government officials getting thrown in jail for putting hardworking, unknowing families at risk by serving up polluted water, the fact remains that in this case, the residents of Crestwood have ingested potentially dangerous drinking water up until 2008 despite environmental regulators warning political figures in the town in the mid-1980’s of the potential dangers lurking in the well water.

So… will two people spending time behind bars do anything to help those whose health may have gotten compromised by carcinogenic compounds in the well water? Probably not and quite honestly we doubt ANY news of ANY kind will make the residents of that community feel better about what has happened.

Moral off the story?

We would like to think of the unfortunate events in Crestwood — especially the betrayal of the public’s trust by governing officials — as isolated events but our years of reading and writing about various intentional acts of water contamination by individuals, industries and governments will not allow us to think like that.

Instead, we view this story (which will only end in more heartache and misery for the residents of Crestwood) as a grim reminder that we must all keep a vigilant eye on the quality of our water regardless of how it reaches our homes, schools and offices.

Whether accidental or intentional, unwanted water contaminants can creep into the water supply at any time. Only through regular, or at least annual, drinking water testing will you find out if something has altered the quality of your water and possibly put you and your loved ones at risk.

Testing for carcinogenic compounds in drinking water

As most of you know, we carry a variety of simple, at-home drinking water test kits in the Water Test Kit Store that folks can use to keep an eye on basic drinking water parameters. Neither basic dip-n-read test strips nor traditional wet chemistry test kits, however, will tell you if carcinogens exist in your water supply.

Detection of compounds like VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) which scientists have positively linked to the occurrence of cancer in laboratory animals and humans can only take place with the aid of technology not well-suited for field work so we have recently also started carrying mail-in drinking water test kits produced by National Testing Laboratories, a widely respected and well-known name in residential and commercial water testing.

For the purpose of testing for VOC’s we suggest considering a water testing package like the Watercheck City-Check Standard Test Kit which tests for 47 VOC’s as well as a host of other important water quality parameters:

Generally speaking, National Testing Laboratories will send by email a copy of your test results 10 to 14 business days after the lab receives your water sample.

So, without further ado, get ready for a list of chemicals and chemical compounds that call into the VOC category of NSF/ANSI Standard 53:

alachlor	endrin	simazine
atrazine	ethylbenzene	styrene
benzene	ethylene dibromide (EDB)	1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane
carbofuran	haloacetonitriles	tetrachloroethylene
carbon tetrachloride	bromochloroacetonitrile	toluene
chlorobenzene	dibromoacetonitrile	2,4,5-TP(silvex)
chloropicrin	dichloroacetonitrile	tribromoacetic acid
2,4-D	trichloroacetonitrile	1,2,4-trichlorobenzene
dibromochloropropane (DBCP)	haloketones	1,1,1-trichloroethane
o-dichlorobenzene	1,1-dichloro-2-propanone	1,1,2-trichloroethane
p-dichlorobenzene	1,1,1-trichloro-2-propanone	trichloroethylene
1,2-dichloroethane	heptachlor	trihalomethanes (TTHM)
1,1-dichloroethylene	heptachlor epoxide	(THM) bromodichloromethane
cis-1,2-dichloroethylene	hexachlorobutadiene	bromoform
trans-1,2-dichloroethylene	hexachlorocyclopentadiene	chlorodibromomethane
1,2-dichloropropane	lindane	chloroform
cis-1,3-dichloropropylene	methoxychlor	xylenes
dinoseb	pentachlorophenol

Note: While the NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for VOC Reduction deos specify just 43 compounds, the list above contains extra entries because the Standard considers three ‘families’ of compounds single entries and then goes on to specifically call out the names of individual compounds within those chemical families.

Where do these things called VOC’s come from?

The VOC Fairy brings them while you sleep… but not really. On the NSF Web Site we found the following definition which we think does an excellent job of describing the origin of VOC’s:

“The category of VOC (Volatile Organic Chemical) includes a number of chemicals that are both man-made and naturally occurring. Water from wells and utilities may contain some of these contaminants. Some VOCs are pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides that seep into the ground water after application. Other VOCs enter the water supply through industrial or other waste disposal. This category also includes total trihalomethanes, which are a by-product of chlorination.”

For those who believe VOC’s cannot get into their water supply because you don’t live in close proximity to industrial complexes or agricultural areas, think again. Once these things enter the environment they, like many other categories of drinking water contaminants, could possibly travel many miles before dissipating to a ‘safe’ level.

Thanks for the chemistry lesson, but…

“Why does any of that matter to me?”

In a nutshell, scientists and health officials have agreed that the presence of any of those chemicals in too high a concentration in water poses a potentially serious health risk to people if they consume the water. Devices that have tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for the reduction of VOC’s must satisfactorily reduce levels of all the chemicals on that list to ‘safe’ levels.