WHAT ARE HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND SULFATE?
Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that has the unmistakable odor of rotten eggs. It is produced from decomposing plant and animal tissue. At high concentrations in the air hydrogen sulfide is toxic, but it is usually just at nuisance levels in well water and does not cause health problems. Hydrogen sulfide is extremely corrosive to metals. It will quickly corrode even stainless steel. Wells constructed with steel casing and houses plumbed with copper pipes will have a shortened lifetime. Hydrogen sulfide will react with the silver in true silverware creating a coal-black tarnish. It can also react with the resin bed of a water softener, and if sulfur-loving bacteria enter the treatment system a black slime will be produced. Sulfate comes from naturally occurring minerals in soils, rocks, and sediments. Sulfate is another form of sulfur that does not produce gas and is odorless. High levels of sulfate can act as a laxative to some people, cause dehydration, and be especially detrimental to the
