Metals in drinking water

Heavy Metals - Heavy metals represent problems in terms of groundwater pollution. The best way to identify their presence is by a lab test of the water or by contacting county health departments. There are concerns of chronic exposure to low levels of heavy metals in drinking water. 

There are concerns that land application of sludge will result in an increase of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemicals and metals in drinking water reservoirs, aquifers, and the food chain. This raises additional concerns of cumulative effects of metals in cropped soils. Research shows that if metals such as zinc, copper, lead, nickel, mercury, and cadmium are allowed to build up in soils due to many applications of sludges over the years, they could be released at... 

The significance of this directive , from the corrosion point of view, is that for the first time legally enforceable limits for the concentrations of toxic metals in drinking water have been defined. This has greatly increased the importance of contamination as a consequence of corrosion, as opposed to simple mechanical failure, and has required a reassessment of the suitability of various metals and alloys traditionally used in the supply of water for domestic purposes. 

Humans may also be indirectly affected through exposure to increased levels of toxic metals in drinking water and food. Increased levels of toxic metal are a consequence of direct deposition of pollutants into water sources, increased leaching of metal from soils and lake sediments, and increased corrosion of water pipes. 

Nordberg GF. 1990. Human health effects of metals in drinking water Relationship to cultural acidification. Environ Toxicol Chem 9 887-894. 

Fig. 8-4. Simultaneous analysis of alkali and alkaline-earth metals in drinking water. — Separator column IonPac CS10 eluent 0.04 mol/L HC1 + 0.005 mol/L 2,3-diaminopropionic acid flow rate 1 mL/min detection suppressed conductivity injection volume 50 pL potable water from Vienna (undiluted).

Holynska B, Olko M, Ostachowicz B, et al. 1998. Performance of total reflection and grazing emission x-ray fluorescence spectrometry for the determination of trace metals in drinking water in relation to other analytical techniques. Fresenius J Anal Chem 362 294-298. 

Cohen JM, Kamphake LJ, Harris EK, et al. 1960. Taste threshold concentrations of metals in drinking water. J Am Water Works Assoc (May 1960) 660-670. 

An instrument used to detect metals in drinking water can detect as little as one microgram of mercury in one liter of water. Mercury is a toxic metal it accumulates in the body and is responsible for the deterioration of brain cells. Calculate the number of mercury atoms you would consume if you drank one liter of water that contained only one microgram of mercury. (The mass of one mercury atom is 3.3 x 10"33 grams.) Yesterday s temperature was 40°F. Today it is 80°F. Bill tells Sue that it is twice as hot today. Sue disagrees. Do you think Sue is correct or incorrect Why or why not ... 

Discuss the toxicity of heavy metals in drinking water use additional materials from Chapter 12 for the answer. 

Precision and Recovery Data for High Purity Trace Metals in Drinking Water (CRM)... 

Figure 10.37 Precision and recovery data for Trace Metals in Drinking Water Certified Reference Material (CRM) by ICP-MS. The ICP-MS used was a PE SCIEX Elan 6000 and the CRM is from High Purity Standards, Charleston, SC. (From Wolf et al. 1995, used with permission.)...

Ong et al. (2006) reported substantially elevated lead and cadmium concentrations in the hippocampus and other brain areas 1-month after intracerebroventricular injection of kainate in rats exposed simultaneously to these metals in drinking water. The lead concentrations in the hippocampus were nearly three times greater in the... 

Figure 39. Flow diagram of the procedure for the polaro-graphic/voltammetric determination of heavy metals in drinking water, groundwater, and surface water according to DIN 38406 Part 16...

Figure 10.6 Simultaneous analysis of alkali and alkaline-earth metals in drinking water using capillary IC. Separator column lonPac CS12A column dimensions 250 mm x 0.4 mm i.d. column temperature 40°C eluent MSA (EG) gradient 6-65 mmol/L from 0 to 30min ...

Karalekas, P.C., Craun, G.F., Hammonds, A.F., 1976. Lead and other trace metals in drinking water in the Boston metropolitan area. J. Am. Water Works Assn. 90, 150—172. 

The main objective of COST Action 637 is to stimulate better control of metals in drinking water and to minimise environmental and health impacts. The Action aims to contribute to the implementation of the European Drinking Water Directive and to the Environment and Health programme of the EU Commission and the UNAVHO Protocol on Water and Health. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission provides scientific input in the COST Action but is also the link to the European Commission. COST stands for European Cooperation in Science and Technology and is the oldest and widest European inter-governmental network for cooperation in research. COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework programme (www.cost.esf.org). 

Karalekas, Peter C., Jr., Gunther F. Craun, Arthur F. Hammonds, et al. 1976. Lead and Other Trace Metals in Drinking Water in the Boston Metropolitan Area. Journal of the New England Water Works Association 90 151-171. 

Issues of Water Quahty Heavy Metals in Drinking Water, http I www.everpure.coml issues/iowq003.html, 1998. 

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