Examining Common Water Contaminants: Aluminum

Common Water Contaminants Aluminum

Examining Common Water Contaminants: Aluminum

An extremely abundant metal found in the earth’s crust, aluminum can be leached from rock and soil to enter into a water source. It can be present in water as aluminum hydroxide, aluminum sulfate or sodium aluminate. It can also cause deposits in cooling systems, leading to boiler scale, or it can accumulate as a white gelatinous deposit.

Health Effects of Aluminum in Water

Aluminum generally exists in groundwater in concentrations that range from 0.1 to 8.0 ppm. At concentrations above 0.1 ppm, the aluminum will generally begin to impact the color of the water. The United States EPA recommends keeping concentrations at less than 0.05 ppm, while the WHO guidelines call for no more than 0.2 ppm. Whether or not aluminum has an adverse effect on human health, however, is unknown, as studies linking Aluminum in drinking water to health issues have been inconclusive.

Removing Aluminum from Water

Aluminum can be easily removed from water with the help of cation exchange resins, such as what is used in water softeners. It is not, however, readily removed from the resin with normal salt regeneration. Therefore, periodic acid treatment is required to remove the aluminum from the resin. For this reason, point-of-use methods such as reverse osmosis or distillation should be used to more effectively remove aluminum from water. The water will also need to be periodically monitored to ensure the aluminum is still being removed properly.

If you are concerned about aluminum contamination in your Magic Valley home, contact Pump Service Idaho today! We will conduct all of the necessary tests to determine the level of contamination in your home so you can better determine the proper steps to achieve the drinking water that you desire. Let our experts guide you through the process of bringing clean water to your southern Idaho home!

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