Across the U.S., there is a growing epidemic of harmful algal blooms – also known as blue-green algae – polluting lakes, rivers and swimming holes, EWG reported this month.
It is unlikely you would let your kids or pets swim in smelly, slime-covered water. But even playing along the shoreline is ill-advised when there is a bloom. This is particularly important advice if you live somewhere like Rock Lake, Ontario where your children are likely to be spending a lot of time near water. Furthermore, if an emergency does happen it’s crucial that you or someone in your group knows first aid. Being prepared to respond to a situation is so important as you can never determine how long an emergency medical response will take to come. If you’d be interested in first aid training, then you could consider a course in Hamilton CPR Training with a dedicated training organization like C2C First Aid & Aquatics Inc. Accordingly, here are the facts you need to know before your family’s lake or beach vacation.
How can I identify a harmful algal bloom?
It can be hard to tell by looking if a pond is full of toxic algae or innocuous plant material. Scientists and public health officials use specialized tests to identify harmful algal blooms and to determine when the risk of algal toxins has passed.
But when pond or lake water looks like green soup, it is likely full of tiny blue-green algae. These organisms are an ancient type of bacteria, called cyanobacteria. They grow wherever there is water.
Unlike other types of bacteria, which can make children and adults sick by infection, cyanobacteria can make people sick through the toxic substances they produce. These cyanotoxins can cause rashes, itching, vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches. In rare cases, water laced with cyanobacteria and their toxins can cause seizures, paralysis, and liver failure, which can kill a human or a pet.
For families with children and pets, it is best to avoid all bodies of water that look green and overgrown. They may contain toxin-producing cyanobacteria.
Tip: Read and follow any posted warnings. If the lake or pond looks green or another strong color such as blue, yellow, or brown, it’s best to avoid it. The water may or may not contain harmful cyanotoxins, but it’s better to err on the side of caution.
Can my children play near a lake or pond with an algal bloom?
When a lake has a harmful algal bloom, cyanotoxins can be found in the water and in algal scum on the shore. Activities like boating and waterskiing, or waves crashing on the beach, can release cyanotoxins into the air above and around contaminated lakes.
Swimming is the most worrisome activity because children and youth might swallow a few gulps of contaminated water. In 2002, a teenage boy died in Wisconsin after swimming in a golf course pond covered with blue-green algae. Such severe poisonings are rare, but children across the United States are at risk from accidental exposures.
Even when they don’t swim in contaminated water, children are especially vulnerable to cyanotoxins. Children might inhale cyanotoxins when playing along the shoreline, boating, or splashing in the water. Small children often put their hands in their mouths – this can be dangerous if they’ve touched algal scum on the shoreline or in the water.
Tip: Just touching the water or playing in the sand next to an algae-filled lake could cause coughing, rashes, and itching in children.
Tip: Warn teens about algal blooms if they are visiting a lake or pond without adult supervision.
What happens if you have accidental contact with toxic algae?
Watch out for symptoms that may seem like the flu or a GI infection. This includes vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, weakness, cramping, and headaches. Symptoms can develop within a few hours of exposure. Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect you or your child has been exposed to a harmful algal bloom. Physicians can report algal poisoning events to state agencies that test water and post warning signs.
Tip: If you think your child has come in contact with an algal bloom, rinse their body with water and make sure they drink plenty of water as soon as possible.
Tip: Pay close attention if your child has unusual symptoms after playing in or on the water. Contact your physician or local Poison Control Center for advice.
Can my family go fishing?
If you are going fishing, it’s best to head to a flowing body of water like a river. Otherwise, choose a lake or pond that isn’t covered in scum, and read local fish advisories.
When cyanotoxin levels are high, you may see dead fish floating in the water. Fish can absorb these poisonous substances, so eating a fish caught in algae-laden water could be like swallowing a spoonful of lake water itself. Cooking fish does not destroy cyanotoxins.
Can my family go camping?
Water purification during camping is key! Boiling water kills cyanobacteria, but does not destroy their harmful toxins. Avoid using such water for cooking or drinking, even if it’s been boiled. Public health agencies recommend avoiding all lake and pond water when it looks cloudy. This includes using it to rinse dishes or bathe. It’s a wise idea to always carry Hand Sanitizer if you do go camping in an area with this toxic water so that if you do happen to come across it and touch it, you can kill as many germs as possible.
How widespread is the problem?
Cyanotoxin poisonings are likely underreported for two reasons: They’re difficult to diagnose and there is no national reporting system. EWG’s analysis found that, since 2010, nearly 300 blooms have been recorded in lakes, rivers, and bays in 48 states, which are displayed in our interactive map.
Some states have their own monitoring programs. In 2015, a New York state pilot program reported 32 cases of algal bloom-associated illnesses for individuals of all ages. The youngest person affected was 2 years old. People affected by cyanotoxins in the New York study experienced rashes, coughing, abdominal pains, nausea and vomiting. No people required hospitalization, but two dogs died.
In recent years, harmful algal blooms have erupted in every state. In 2017 alone, California authorities posted 141 advisory signs near different bodies of water to warn people to avoid them. In 2016, Florida declared a state of emergency in four counties affected by a huge algal bloom.
And harmful algal blooms aren’t just a problem in freshwater – they can also be found in saltwater and brackish water. So, people heading to lakeside cottages with their families or pets should be especially careful. Visiting a cottage with a dog and your kids is meant to be a fun and carefree experience, but algal blooms seem to be getting in the way of that.
Why do toxic algal blooms form?
Toxic algal blooms occur when chemical pollution from farms and other sources runs off into neighboring bodies of water. While algal blooms can happen naturally, the recent spike is indisputably linked to farm pollution. When fertilizer and animal manure runoff into lakes, streams, and bays, fertilizer chemicals like nitrogen and phosphorus can spur the unchecked growth of cyanobacteria.
Algal bloom and children’s health expert Todd Miller, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, called algal blooms “a symptom of a larger problem we have with inadequate protections for water resources and improper land management,” in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Billions of pounds of fertilizers and manure are applied to farm fields every year. The fields must be carefully managed and protected to keep these chemicals from washing off fields into ponds, lakes, and rivers. Right now, we rely on farmers to voluntarily take steps to stem pollution, but far too many aren’t doing what’s needed. The long-term solution to the toxic algal bloom problem is ensuring that all farming operations meet basic standards of care for water, and stop fertilizer from running off fields.
For more information, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s resources.
The EPA has made a preliminary determination to regulate strontium in the nation’s drinking water and will evaluate public feedback following a 60-day public comment period in order to determine whether to issue a final determination to regulate strontium.
If this determination will be made, the EPA will begin the process of developing a proposed rule, with hopes of publishing the final regulatory determinations in 2015, as mentioned in the October 20th, 2014 news release.
The press release also mentions 4 other contaminants (dimethoate, 1,3 dinitrobenzene, terbufos, and terbufos sulfone), which do not require regulation at this time, as they are either not found or are found at low levels of occurrence in public water systems.
What Is Strontium and How Does It Affect Our Health?
Strontium is a natural and commonly occurring element, usually found in nature in the form of minerals. Pure strontium is a hard, white-colored metal, but cannot be found in this form in the environment. There are 2 types of strontium compounds: those that dissolve in water and those that do not. Strontium can also exist as radioactive isotopes, with strontium-90 being the most hazardous of the radioactive isotopes of this chemical element. It forms in nuclear reactors or during the explosion of nuclear weapons.
Strontium-90 is used in medical and agricultural studies, thermoelectric devices, navigational beacons, remote weather stations and space vehicles, electron tubes, radioluminescent markers, and for the treatment of eye diseases. Appearing adjacent to calcium on the Periodic Table of Elements, strontium is not toxic. However, it has the ability to displace calcium in the bones of humans and animals, which can result in poor bone quality and/or bone development issues in infants.
Because strontium is so prevalent in the earth’s crust it appears in an estimated 99% of municipal water supplies and further estimated that 10% of all sources will have levels deemed excessive.
Strontium-90 behaves like calcium in the human body and tends to deposit in bone and bloodforming tissue (bone marrow). Thus, strontium-90 is referred to as a “bone seeker,” and exposure will increase the risk for several diseases including bone cancer, cancer of the soft tissue near the bone, and leukemia. Risks from exposure depend on the concentration of strontium-90 in air, water, and soil. At higher exposures, such as those associated with the Chernobyl accident, the cancer risks may be elevated. The magnitude of this health risk would depend on exposure conditions, such as the amount ingested.
Has the EPA made Any Recommendations to Protect Human Health?
The EPA has established a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4 millirems per year for beta particle and photon radioactivity from man-made radionuclides in drinking water. The average concentration for strontium-90 that is assumed to yield 4 millirems per year is 8 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L). Also, if other radionuclides that emit beta particles and photon radioactivity are present in addition to strontium-90, the sum of the annual dose from all the radionuclides cannot exceed 4 millirems/year.
Removing Radioactive or Natural Strontium from Water
Conventional treatment was not effective at removing strontium from the water but the following processes were found to be highly effective for the removal of radioactive or natural strontium:
- adsorptive media: up to 99% removal
- reverse osmosis: >99% removal
- ion exchange: greater than 99% removal
A number of adsorptive media were effective for studies with strontium-90, with a synthetic zeolite being most effective at 75-80% removal and bentonite clay at higher pH (7.4 to 8), removing 85-90% of the strontium-90 from water. Hydrated manganese oxide at higher pH (8 to 10) was most effective at removing natural strontium, with 90-92% removal.
Removal of strontium-90 by 2 cation exchange media was found to be highly effective, greater than 99% removal in one case, based on one study involving bench-scale isotherm tests using groundwater. Also, removal improved with contact time. Ion exchange has proven to be the Best Available Technology for the control of beta particle emitters like strontium-90.
Natural strontium was effectively removed with membrane separation (97 to greater than 99%) and reverse osmosis is the Best Available Technology for the control of beta particle emitters like radioactive strontium. Call us at 760.734.5787 and get in touch with one of our water experts today to learn more about strontium and how to remove it from your water!
Resources:
- http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=654&tid=120
- https://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclide-basics-strontium-90
From a biological standpoint, lab water has many distinct properties that are critical for the proliferation of life. This transparent fluid is the major constituent of the fluids of living things. As a chemical compound, a water molecule contains 1 oxygen and 2 hydrogen atoms that are connected by covalent bonds. Lab water has many uses in our world, from drinking, washing, transportation, recreation, food processing, to industrial applications, chemical uses, and as a scientific standard.
We often take water quality for granted in daily life and our work, and we also might not be aware of the different grades of water, the appropriate water grade applications or the cost to obtain the desired grade. Laboratories need reagent grade water (RGW) for experiments and animal water in order to reduce the risk of scientific variability, or to prevent bacterial disease.
Common Water Contaminants and How to Measure Them
Water is known as the universal solvent because more substances dissolve in it to varying degrees than in any other solvent. Depending on what the water will be used for, it requires a certain purity. Water quality is dependent on the combination of water treatment systems and technologies employed to effectively remove contaminants to levels required for critical applications. Thus, purified water is mechanically filtered or processed in order to remove impurities and make it suitable for use. The impurities that may need to be removed are:
- bacteria
- endotoxins and nucleases
- gases
- inorganic ions
- organic compounds
- particulates
Tap water contains many substances that, if left untreated, may react or catalyze reactions in undesired ways. It is important to know: the conductivity of the water, the organic content of the water and the presence or absence of endotoxins. These are the most important things to consider along with storing dangerous goods correctly, as far as laboratory water is concerned. Conductivity is the tendency of water that contains ions to conduct electricity, and is measured in Siemen(S), microsiemens/centimeter or microohms/cm. This measurement is used to measure feed water and lower quantities of treated water.
In order to obtain pure water for a laboratory, it takes and incredibly sophisticated lab to test it to the level that lab technicians want for their water.
What Does Lab Water Grade Mean and Why Does It Matter?
Reagent grade water (RGW) is water that is suitable for use in a specified procedure, as it does not interfere with the accuracy, precision and specificity of the procedure. Water specifications have been described by ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) D1193, ASTM D5196, ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 3696 and CLSI ® (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (formerly NCCLS) C3-A4.
There are national specifications for a variety of different grades of water and depending on what the laboratory is doing, whether it is a clinical application, an industrial application, or manufacturing, they know which one of those grades of water they need. Typically, people say they want an “X” amount of water per day or per 8-hour shift and give a grade number: I, II, III or IV.
Different levels of quality are required for a vast range of applications, therefore different grades of water must be purified and utilized to match the required procedures or appliances.
At Dime Water Inc., we are not able to test to the levels that lab technicians want, but we can provide laboratories with custom-built water treatment systems to remove all impurities from the water. If the lab is on a municipal water supply, we can get enough information from that and the treatment processes are such that, regardless of what the water supply is, we can take care of it by knowing more about their water we can do a better job of sizing the equipment for a certain type of contaminant. A package-approach to treating lab water is going to have ultraviolet, mixed bed DI, reverse osmosis, recirculation, and there will be some ozone production on top of it all, for knocking down the organics.
Often, labs select the highest possible grade of water when it really is not necessary, and they are spending money on equipment and on maintenance that far exceeds what they really need. However, they can be just as safe and more in line economically if they used a grade of water that was more compatible to what their process is. If you build a water system for a certain grade of water but later on you need it for a higher grade, it can always be upgraded to a higher level. 2 or 3 components have to be replaced based on water volume and/or time.
After treatment, water should not be stored statically. Water of this grade is circulated through the treatment processes, so there is constantly a circulation taking place.
At Dime Water Inc., our engineers are always prepared to help you choose the right water treatment technology to meet your needs. Contact us at 760.734.5787!
Resources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purified_water
- https://orf.od.nih.gov/PoliciesAndGuidelines/Documents/DTR%20White%20Papers/Laboratory%20Water-Its%20Importance%20and%20Application-March-2013_508.pdf
Reverse Osmosis Systems for High TDS Water
Dime Water was asked to provide a reverse osmosis system to reduce an extremely high TDS water measured at over 5,000 ppm, which also had high sodium and sulfate levels. The pictured reverse osmosis system was designed and constructed for a cattle ranch in South Dakota, with the help of the United State Department of Agricultures’ engineers.
Total dissolved solids (TDS) is a measure of the combined content of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid in molecular or micro-granular (colloidal sol) suspended form. TDS is measured in mg/liter or parts per million (ppm). If the TDS is high, cattle will be reluctant to drink then, drink a large amount at once, causing the animal to become very sick and potentially die. The primary symptom of high TDS water in cattle is diarrhea.
The reverse osmosis system’s advantages:
- anti scale chemical feed to prolong equipment life
- fully automatic multi-tank filter system
- operation is fully automatic and controlled with a microprocessor housed in an environmentally sealed enclosure
- specially constructed for reverse osmosisbustness and exposure to harsh ambient conditions
- treated water quantity is over 16,000 gallons daily
Required for all life processes, water is the most important nutrient for range cattle. The total body water of cattle is usually between 56% and 81% of body weight and a loss of 20% of the body’s water will be fatal. This loss of body water occurs through milk production, fecal and urine excretion, sweat, and vapor loss. Water quality, especially sulfates, can affect animal gain and health. A water analysis is recommended if animal performance is disappointing.
What Is Ground Water Quality?
Groundwater quality is judged by the amounts and types of materials that are present in the water. Water contains a variety of dissolved substances including gases and ions, and it may also contain organic matter and suspended materials. Generally, good quality water is water that is safe for its intended use. A few substances such as lead, nitrate, or arsenic may be harmful to health, but most substances dissolved in water do not adversely affect the smell, appearance taste or hardness of the groundwater. The United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established enforceable and recommended drinking water standards for humans and livestock in the United States.
Dime Water also added a special feature to the system: a blending valve to adjust the final quality, get extra daily treated water volume, and maximize water efficiency.
The existing water chemistry found at the ranch prevented cattle from drinking as they should, which resulted in limited weight gain and a loss in revenue at the time of sale. Estimates showed weight gain may be as high as 50% once good water quality is provided. It is very important to do a TDS analysis for water quality and if the concentration is over 3,000 ppm TDS, then further analysis of sulfates should follow. Knowledge and management of stock water quality can be an important part of an effective ranch plan.
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