samedi 8 février 2014

How Drinking Water Testing Is Done

By Judy Sullivan


Drinking water should always be safe for human consumption. A large percentage of the world population drink water that is not safe leading to widespread diseases and death. Minimising the related diseases is one of the most important public health goals in many countries. Drinking water testing is just one of the ways to achieve this goal.

Regular sampling should be done to ensure that purity is maintained and safety is guaranteed. As much as this is the responsibility of the public health department, you should not take any chances. Instead you should take the initiative to collect samples and ensure that indeed they are of good quality. Depending on the location of the source, various substances may be detected. These include radon, sulphate, iron, manganese, pesticides and so forth. The most common quality challenge is bacteria, which has to be tested at least once a year.

A number of changes and occurrences may call for testing of samples more than once a year. One should suspect extremely high levels of manganese, sulphate and iron in the event of changes in clarity, taste, color and smell. The tests are also crucial when unexplained illness occur within the immediate environment. Pregnancy is another critical indicator for home testing.

There are a number of other observations that can be used to decide whether there is a need to take samples. For instance, if there is an increase in the occurrence of unwanted environmental events such as increased incidence of diarrheal diseases, destruction of sewage drainage systems within the vicinity, increased levels of wear and tear and increased hardness among others. If soap starts to lose its ability to lather easily, testing should also be considered.

The most vulnerable group of persons with regard to diseases are children less than five years and particularly the infants. Overexposure to nitrates to these group leads to nitrate poisoning. It subsequently results in a condition known as the blue baby syndrome in which the levels of oxygen are too low to meet the metabolic requirements. When identified, this condition should be treated as a medical emergency.

The samples used for this process are taken in different ways. The first sample is what comes out of the tap first once it is turned on in the morning. Another sample should be taken after the stream runs for some time. Samples can be collected at different points in the piping system when contamination has occurred in more than one section. Suggested points include inlet and outlet of a filtering device or before and after entry in storage tank. An allowance of 12 hours should be given when collecting the sample from a system suspected of corrosion.

Once the samples have been adequately tested and the contaminants identified, one of the steps that can be undertaken is the installation of filter systems to remove impurities. The main downside is that important components such as fluoride may be filtered out. Fluoride is an element that helps strengthen tooth enamel and prevents decay.

Drinking water testing should become a routine if some of the most fatal diseases affecting the world today are to be prevented. Apart from testing, there is a need to have proper storage mechanisms to prevent contamination. If the water is being stored for a long time, regular sampling for tests should be done.




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