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!

Abbreviated as PERC, the compound tetrachloroethane probably came from a time when it found itself used heavily in manufacturing, industrial and agricultural activities… a time before scientists and health officials determined that exposure to compounds like tetrachloroethane could have lasting, negative effects on human health.

Potential health problems caused by tetrachloroethane include:

• Chronic damage of liver, nerves, kidneys, organs that form blood in the body.
• More immediate effects of tetrachloroethane may include, but are not limited to, symptoms such as dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, weakness, and in more extreme cases even unconsciousness and death.

So, where did the contaminant come from? Good question. Many compounds now labeled as environmental contaminants previously found themselves used extensively in society for a wide variety of applications. In the case of tetrachloroethane, one could have easily encountered it in use as a solvent, as part of a metal or cleaner or grease remover, and in various paint/rust removal compounds. Additionally, for a while tetrachloroethane also served as an insecticide, fumigant, and weedkiller.

Getting back to the story

The New Jersey District Attorney’s Office has indicted both the Executive Director and Assistant Executive Director of the East Orange Water Commission on a number of charges stemming from allegations that they knowingly “directed that the contaminated wells be turned off several days prior to taking samples for testing and then turned back on for pumping to the reservoir after sampling. In this manner, they allegedly falsified test results to comply with the DEP requirement that the running annual average level of PERC under normal operating conditions not exceed 1 microgram per liter (µg/L) or part per billion…” ( source )

Officials have also charged the pair with other charges related to allegations that they knowingly directed water from wells known to have unacceptable levels of tetrachloroethane into the nearby Passaic River in Florham Park — a clear violation of the New Jersey Water Pollution Control Act.

Moral of the story?

Quite frankly, the alleged actions of the accused threatened the health and welfare of thousands of people who trusted their tap water and, in the grand scheme of things, the rest of us, as well.

Water moves all over and around our planet and with it also travel any contaminants it has picked up along the way — like, for example, the tetrachloroethane allegedly released into the Passaic River in this instance.

Don’t think for an instant that a water pollution incident on the other side of the state, country or even planet will not eventually, in some way, shape or form, have an effect on the quality of the water coming out of your well or faucet.

You may not realize it, but on some small level, each and every water quality disaster since the dawn of time has contributed to the quality of the water we all have today.

Reducing contaminants (like tetrachloroethane) in your water

If after having your water tested professionally — because no home drinking water test kits can detect compounds like tetrachloroethane — you discover that your water contains tetrachloroethane, we suggest you seriously consider installing a water filtration system NSF/ANSI 53 Certified to reduce the levels of contaminants listed in a category known as VOC’s (Volatile Organic Chemicals).

For more information on the VOC’s whose levels NSF/ANSI 53 Certified devices reduce, we suggest reviewing the following post we wrote a while back: NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for VOC Reduction

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.