What type of impurities generally remains in water?
– Biological Impurities: Bacteria, Virus, and Parasites. – Inorganic Imputities: Dirt and Sediment or Turbidity – fine sand, clay, soil, and precipitated salts. – Total Dissolved Solids: These substances are dissolved rock and other compounds from the earth. The most problematic are Nitrates, Sodium, Sulfates, Barium, Copper, and Fluoride. Minerals exist in water mostly as INORGANIC salts. – Toxic Metals or Heavy Metals: Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, and Silver. Asbestos – It has been linked with gastrointestinal cancer. – Radioactivity: Radioactive wastes leach from mining operations into groundwater supplies. – Oranic Impurities – Tastes and Odors – Pesticides and Herbicides – Toxic Organic Chemicals – Chlorine, this creates toxic organic chemicals such as chloroform, and Bromodichloromethane.
