I did a post 3 months ago as a newbie that got 3 votes and earned me $0.00.
- I make water. Abracadabra
- I'm a water plant operator, so feel free to ask me any questions.
- I believe EPA has lost all credibility by allowing water plants to add fluoride to the water. Terrible decision. It is especially toxic to children <2 years old.
- I'm a water plant operator, so feel free to ask me any questions.
Nitrates (from farming) cause blue baby syndrome.
The floc never leaves the plant. It settles out mainly. What doesn't settle out is removed by the sand filters which most plants have before water leaves the plant.
Yeah I read several articles that the Aluminum is filtered out but there were other articles that suggested the small amounts of free unbound aluminum remain in our water and can be absorbed on an empty stomach. A stomach full of food the aluminum binds to the food. Nitrates from farming are nasty, I read many articles about toxic algae blooming in coastal rivers and beaches caused by the runoff from huge pig farms which kills fish and sicken people who breath the fumes.
Why is aluminum in drinking water considered a hazard when most of our daily intake comes from food?
Although most of our daily aluminum intake comes from food, aluminum in food appears to be bound to other food substances and thus is in a form that cannot be absorbed into the bloodstream. In fact, it seems that the body's main defense against aluminum in food is that it does not allow aluminum to pass through the intestinal wall.
In contrast, recent research has shown that aluminum from drinking water can be absorbed to some extent in both animals and humans. This is because the aluminum in water following water treatment processes seems to be in a largely "free" (i.e. unbound) form. However, the amount of aluminum absorbed from drinking water is usually very small. One reason for this is that the presence of food in the stomach reduces the absorption. Absorption then is greatest when water is drunk on an empty stomach.
The guideline that Health Canada will be recommending for aluminum will be based on the amount of "free" aluminum present in drinking water, not the "total" aluminum that is currently measured and quoted in Canada and other countries.
Why is aluminum added to drinking water during water treatment?
Waterborne micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses, protozoa) are a very serious health risk. Aluminum compounds are used in drinking water treatment to remove these harmful micro-organisms and particles that can protect them from disinfection, by coagulating them, or causing them to clump together into larger particles.
These large particles are then removed by sedimentation and filtration. Aluminum-based compounds also remove naturally occurring organic matter present in water, thus reducing the formation of disinfection by-products. These are the products of the reaction between chemicals used for disinfection and naturally occurring organic matter, some of which may cause cancer (e.g. trihalomethanes).
Alum (aluminum sulphate) and polyaluminum chloride are the most widely used coagulants, because they are effective, readily available, and relatively inexpensive. However, under some circumstances, or if not used properly, their use can result in elevated levels of residual aluminum in finished drinking water.