Taste and Odors
Taste and odor issues
- Chlorine, Chloramines, Chlorine Dioxide – (chlorinous, bleach smell or taste)
- Geosmin, 2-Methyl Isoborneol – (earthy, dirt odor) (musty, wet mulch odor)
- Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (solvent, petroleum taste/odor)
- Hydrogen sulfide – (rotten egg)
- Iron – (metallic taste, rust color)
- Manganese – (metallic taste, brown/black color, staining)
- Minerals (TDS) & Metals Hardness – (salty/bitter taste)
- Chlorides – (salty/mineral taste)
- Sulfate – (salty/mineral taste)
- Corrosion products – Aluminum,Copper, Zinc, suspended iron (Al – cloudy; Cu++ – metallic taste/green or blue color; Iron-rust – metallic taste, rust color)
- PH – pH < 6.5 (acidic/bitter taste) pH > 8.5 (alkaline/slippery taste-feel)
Harmful Effects
- Chlorine – mouth/skin irritation (disinfection byproducts (TTHM’s,HAA5’s, etc.) – carcinogenic)
- Geosmin/MIB – none documented
- Chlorophenols – carcinogenic, liver/kidney damage
- MTBE – none documented at < 0.04 mg/L (USEPA)
- Petroleum products: Benzene, Xylenes – anemia, carcinogenic, nervous system damage
- Copper – gastrointestinal distress, liver/kidney damage, Wilson’s disease
- Sulfate – laxative effects
- Overall poor taste/odor – indirectly may contribute to dehydration due to low consumption of water
- pH < 6.5 – corrosion by-products (lead, copper, etc)
Treatment Options
- Reverse Osmosis
- Chemical Feeder
- Water Softener
- Acid Neutralizer
- Activated Carbon
- Ozone Filtration
- IBSB (Iron Breaker/Sulfur Breaker)
- Multi-Media Filtration
- Carbon Filtration
- Aeration
- KX Pro
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