Symptom
|
Possible Contaminant
|
Possible Treatments
|
Unusual Taste and Odor
|
|
(dependant on specific or combination of
contaminants)
|
| rotten egg, corrosion of iron, steel, and copper
plumbing and pumps; black water |
Hydrogen
sulphide; sulfate-reducing bacteria; iron
bacteria |
Chlorination followed by activated carbon filter (for
organic matter); oxidizing filters; reverse osmosis |
| metallic |
iron, zinc, copper, lead,
aluminum
|
Oxidizing Iron
Filter; Manganese Green sand Filter; RO;
ion exchange; distillation; coagulation with filtration, corrosion
control, carbon |
| earthy, musty, septic |
Decaying
Vegitation, (Dimethyl disulfide)
Swampy (Dimethyl
trisulfide) |
Aeration
followed by filtration; carbon filtration; chlorination followed by
filtration. |
| alkali;
High pH: soda taste, slippery feel, scaly deposits |
Sodium Salts |
Ion Exchange
Softener; deionization process; reverse osmosis or distillation |
| acidic:
Low pH: bitter or metallic taste |
|
Neutralizing
Filter, or soda ash feed |
| Bitter, medicinal taste; laxative effects;
"rotten-egg" odor |
Sulfate, Manganese, copper,
Hydrogen sulphide |
Activated
Carbon Filter,RO,
ion exchange, distillation |
| Salty taste; corrosion of pipes; blackening and pitting of
stainless steel |
Chloride,
sodium chloride |
|
| gasoline or oil |
|
Activated
Carbon Filter |
| soapy |
|
|
Corrosion of iron, steel, and copper plumbing
and pumps;
black water, blackened silverware
|
Hydrogen
sulphide; sulfate-reducing bacteria; iron
bacteria |
|
|
|
|
|
Rings & Stains on Clothes
|
|
|
|
|
|
| red or brown |
iron |
oxidizing iron
filter; chlorination followed by filtration; ion exchange softener will
remove some iron if levels are =<3ppm. |
| black |
manganese |
oxidizing iron
filter; chlorination followed by filtration; ion exchange softener |
| green or blue |
copper |
|
| Reddish brown slime |
Iron bacteria |
chlorination
followed by filtration, Oxidation, oxidizing iron filter if quantities are
low |
|
Yellowing clothes
|
hardness |
Ion Exchange
Softener |
|
tan
|
Tannin |
Multi-Media filter; ion exchange or oxidizing agents and filtration |
Off colour
|
|
|
| cloudy,turbidity |
Suspended organic matter; various dissolved minerals |
Sediment or Multi-Media
Filter |
| black,
slimy |
Hydrogen
sulphide or manganese, iron bacteria |
|
|
|
|
| red or yellow |
Iron |
Oxidizing Iron
Filter, Manganese Green sand Filter |
| blue |
Copper |
|
| brown,
tea coloured |
Tannin,
Humic Acids |
Multi-Media
filter; ion exchange or oxidizing agents and filtration; FLocculation; |
Health Concerns
|
|
|
| Bacteria |
Cryptosporidium,
Giardia Lambia |
Distillation,
Iodination; Reverse Osmosis; Ultraviolet; Ultra-Filtration; Ozone |
| Bacteria |
E. Coli,
Coliform, |
Chlorination;
Iodination; Ultraviolet; Distillation; Ozone; Fine filtration. |
| Fluoride |
Fluorosis
or mottling, a brown discoloration of the teeth. |
RO,
ion exchange, distillation, activated alumina. |
| Nitrate and Nitrite |
Methemoglobinemia
("Blue Baby" syndrome). |
Reverse Osmosis,
ion exchange, distillation |
| Herbicides and
Pesticides |
|
carbon
filters;hydrolysis and oxidation |
