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Topic: Contaminants

  • Silver Fact Sheet

    Biologically, silver is a nonessential, non-beneficial element to humans. There are no scientific studies to show adverse health due to its presence in drinking water from natural sources. However, because of its bactericidal abilities, silver is used as a water bacteriostat in carbon containing water filters. The silver is deposited onto the carbon granules to…

  • Lead Fact Sheet

    Lead has a tendency to be complexed and precipitated by a large number of substances. When released to land, lead binds to soils and does not migrate to ground water. In water, it binds to sediments, and it does not accumulate in fish. This is why it is seldom found in ground waters or natural…

  • Arsenic Fact Sheet

    The presence of arsenic (As) in nature is due mainly to natural deposits of metalloids in the earth’s crust and usually in ancient rock formations. Arsenic enters ground water through erosion or from manmade sources such as wood preservative, petroleum production, semi-conductor manufacture or due to misuse of animal feed additives and arsenic-containing pesticides (e.g.…

  • Barium Fact Sheet

    Barium is a divalent cation and alkaline earth metal that can be found in naturally occurring mineral deposits. The most common ores are found in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, and Tennessee. In 2010, 670 thousand tons of barite, a natural barium sulfate ore, were mined in the US, most of it in…

  • Cadmium Fact Sheet

    Cadmium occurs naturally in zinc, in lead and copper ores, in coal and other fossil fuels, in shales and is released during volcanic action. These deposits can serve as sources to ground and surface waters, especially when in contact with low total dissolved solids (TDS) and acidic waters. Major industrial releases of cadmium are due…

  • Chromium Fact Sheet

    Trivalent chromium occurs naturally in the environment and can be found in rocks and soil. It can also be found in fruits, vegetables and meat. Cr3+ is used to make bricks, metal alloys and chemical compounds. Hexavalent chromium does not occur naturally in the environment. It is produced by certain chemical processes and is considered…

  • Copper Fact Sheet

    Copper is a metallic element that is essential to human health. Too little is unhealthy and too much can lead to copper poisoning. The body cannot synthesize copper so the human diet must supply regular amounts for absorption. The daily requirement is about 2 mg of copper intake per day to maintain a balance of…

  • Mercury Fact Sheet

    Mercury is a naturally occurring metal that has several forms. The metallic mercury is a shiny, silver-white, odorless liquid. If heated, it is a colorless, odorless gas. Mercury combines with other elements to form inorganic mercury compounds. Mercury also combines with carbon to make organic mercury compounds. The most common form of organic mercury, methyl…

  • Radium Fact Sheet

    Radium is formed when uranium and thorium undergo radioactive decay in the environment. Uranium and thorium are found in small amounts in most rocks and soil. Radium is constantly being produced by the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium. Two of the main radium isotopes found in the environment are radium-226 and radium-228 with an…

  • Do Your Homework on Treating Lead in Schools and Daycares

    David Cwiertny, PhD, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iowa, facilitates this webinar, which looks at lead in drinking water, surveying work conducted by the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC) and the Get the Lead Out Iowa program at the University of Iowa. The presentation focuses on risks…