Have You Tested Your Water Lately? - $100 obo

Details:

Since the devastating earthquake in Japan, radiation has made its way to the United States. Tsunami debris will take a long time to start washing up on land, but radioactive particles were carried by the wind much faster. Because of this, iodine supplements have been selling like hotcakes as individuals try to ward off the effects of radiation on their thyroids. Not only has this prompted widespread panic and outrage in the United States, but it has also drawn attention away from a much more serious problem, which most people are blissfully unaware of. Most Americans are completely unaware that the uranium in their own backyards (and their water supply) poses a serious health risk.

Natural uranium can be found in igneous rocks including granite, shale, and sandstone, and is radioactive because of its decay products. By interacting with groundwater, these geological formations release their mineral content into the river, which then carries it downstream. More uranium than is safe can be found in water drawn from wells drilled to tap into aquifers where the water has flowed through softer rock, such as sedimentary or igneous rock. It is not only leached from natural deposits, but also discharged in mill tailings during mining, produced as an emission by the nuclear sector, and used in phosphate fertilisers. While some toxic substances can be inhaled, uranium is generally thought of being poisonous only when swallowed. Thus the fear regarding uranium in drinking water is a very genuine concern. Uranium is toxic to the kidneys and bones at high doses. Safe drinking water requires uranium testing of both public water supplies and individual wells.

Most of the uranium a person consumes through their diet or water will be excreted, but some will be absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted by the kidneys, and the rest will be stored in the bones where it will remain for years. To this end, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been striving to establish acceptable limits; a 2011 statement providing a tentative guideline implies that 0.03mg/L may be an overly cautious threshold. The World Health Organization notes that it is "difficult to define an exposure level at which impacts can be expected from the scientific findings," hence the "guideline value for uranium remains tentative."

Do we want any uranium in our water at all, even at the low amounts considered safe by toronto radon removal experts? Radon can be thought of as uranium's opposite. Radon gas is created through the decay of uranium. Inhaling radon gas, which accumulates primarily in basements, significantly raises one's risk of developing lung cancer. Both of these pollutants are quite dangerous. Water used for high-volume tasks like showering can introduce radon gas into a property, even if the interior is sealed off from the gas. A single pollutant is too many, and the presence of both uranium and radon is unacceptable.

There is no way to identify uranium with your sense of smell, taste, or sight. Sampling and testing are the only ways to determine the concentration. Any public water system that provides service to more than 25 people on a consistent, year-round basis must conduct uranium testing. Although the uranium restriction is part of the Safe Drinking Water Act, it does not apply to all public water systems. Non-community public water systems are excluded from this rule. Schools, factories, enterprises, rest areas, convenience stores, and camping facilities with their own water sources are all examples of non-community water systems. That's a major variation in rules and regulations. It's concerning that our schools that don't use a community water system might be using water that hasn't been screened for uranium.

Private water sources, such as wells, are not subject to any sort of oversight. Legislation on either the state or federal level does not mandate periodic testing. Customers who are curious about the uranium content of their household water supply must pay for an inspection of the source themselves. It is recommended that testing for uranium in drinking water be conducted by a lab that has been specifically accredited to do so. Testing uranium requires special equipment that isn't available at every lab. However, not every lab has the proper accreditation to check for all potential pollutants in drinking water.

The amount of uranium in a given sample may change over time. For this reason, it is recommended to conduct water tests over the course of four consecutive quarters and then average the results to get a more accurate reading of the uranium concentration in the water.

Both uranium and radon can be eliminated from potable water. Only the radon connection between uranium and cancer has caused widespread concern about showering in water with high uranium contents. Because of this, the only treatment required is the installation of a water treatment system for use in drinking and cooking water. Reverse osmosis, distillation, anion exchange, and special absorbent media are the most popular household water treatment technologies available today for removing uranium, radon, and other impurities (such as titanium dioxide). No method, including boiling or filtration using an activated carbon filter attached to a sink faucet, has been shown to be effective in eliminating uranium from drinking water.

Even though uranium in drinking water isn't among the most immediate health threats, it is nonetheless something to be wary about. Most Americans worry about exposure to airborne radiation, and while the levels aren't high enough to cause serious health problems, we still want to be aware of the situation and understand what's going on. So too with the water we use to drink. We need to know exactly what's in it, at what concentrations, and whether or not it's safe to drink. Thankfully, there are a variety of cutting-edge smart home water treatment technologies available to us today. With so many impurities in the water supply, these systems were built for that very purpose.

There is no means to prevent water from running over rocks, and hence no way to stop the industries, fertiliser firms, and farmers from producing their products. All water supplies are likely to have trace amounts of pollutants. Still, the local water treatment facility won't be entirely answerable for the well-being of its customers. They are not capable of shouldering all of that weight. That's why it's so important to keep the water supply pure, sanitary, and, as a bonus, delicious. Having the knowledge to make an educated purchase is only half the battle, though.

It is important to retest the water once a treatment system has been installed to confirm it is effective. If the results are satisfactory, then the only thing left to do is maintain the system in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions to guarantee a steady supply of potable water. Once all of these steps have been taken and the results of the tests have met our standards, we will no longer need to be concerned about the safety of the water supply. Modern technology has made it possible to have clean, refreshing water straight from the tap without worrying about any harmful contaminants.