Water & Air – Filter Systems News

One of the most common physical occurrences in marine science is the accumulation of   microorganisms, algae, mussels, seaweed, plants and other water-related growth that is attached to the hull of ships or on the posts of a pier. Such undesirable growth decreases the performance of a ship and increases fuel consumption. This accumulation is called biofouling or microbiological fouling. Biofouling consists of biofilms, which under normal circumstances are harmless, but can be problematic when they produce build-up on pipes and wells, or completely clog water filtration systems.

Waterborne bacteria and other contaminants can trigger allergic reactions, but you can do something to thwart these harmful pollutants from infiltrating your drinking water supply. Water test kits are available to easily check for waterborne contaminants in your drinking water. If you are in an area where you experience more comprehensive problems with your drinking water, then you will probably need an expert to test your water and advise accordingly. Often water-related allergies associated with biofouling result from improperly maintained water filtration systems, cartridges, filters or membranes that are long overdue for replacement.

Cooling towers, water distribution networks and membranes are not immune to biofouling. If membrane filtration or reverse osmosis systems contain the presence of a huge amount of phosphate, this could reduce production of your system, decrease the life of the membrane for your water filter system and increase maintenance costs. In a cooling tower, the presence of biofouling can lead to an excessive amount of harmful bacteria growth and migration. Biocides are used to prevent biofouling in cooling towers, but could create an environmental concern.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established enforceable standards to apply to public water systems called National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR). According to the EPA, primary standards protect public health by limiting the levels of contaminants in drinking water. The typical agents for microbiological fouling include iron, sulfur-reducing and slime producing organisms, although many others exist. Your drinking water will contain some type of sediment, rust, scale or other waterborne pollutants that could create an environment for biofouling in the walls and membrane of your filtration system. This could lead to water-related allergies or diseases if precautions and proper maintenance are not taken ahead of time.

Cleaning mold - from epa.gov

Did you know that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) declared September as Mold Awareness Month? While the month draws to a close, mold is still a problem that many Americans face and awareness is quite important.

The EPA teaches us that “Molds live in the soil, on plants, and on dead or decaying matter…[they] produce tiny spores to reproduce, just as some plants produce seeds.   These mold spores can be found in both indoor and outdoor air, and settled on indoor and outdoor surfaces. When mold spores land on a damp spot, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive…molds gradually destroy the things they grow on, you can prevent damage to building materials and furnishings and save money by eliminating mold growth.”

The spread of mold can be a serious health risk, causing symptoms such as allergic reactions, asthma, and various respiratory problems. The major source of mold spread is moisture and humidity. Whether it’s excessive rainfall or the recent influx of storms, mold is a threat with higher humidity.

While removing mold from your home can sometimes be a difficult task, there are several steps you can take to combat the threat:

• Reduce humidity in your home by 30-60%. Your options include “venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the outside; using air conditioners and de-humidifiers; increasing ventilation; and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning.”
• Clean up any sources of mold and moisture. Plug any sources of water leaks.
• Immediately clean up or dry any damp or wet areas in your home.
• Add insulation in order to reduce or prevent condensation.

Don’t wait for mold to infect your home. Be proactive and buy ED Lab Indoor Air Home Mold Test Kit to screen your indoor for mold and fungus. Or replace your current air filters with the Filters Fast Air & Furnace Filters – MERV 11, which reduce mold spores and improve your indoor air quality.

Sick building syndrome or SBS refers to situations where “building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified,” according to the EPA’s Indoor Air Quality website. This can occur either in a specific room or area, or throughout the building.

Symptoms can include:

• headache
• eye, nose, or throat  irritation
• dry cough
• dry or itchy skin
• dizziness and nausea
• difficulty in concentrating
• fatigue
• sensitivity to odors

Although the cause of the symptoms is usually not known, sufferers usually report feeling better soon after they leave the building. Poor ventilation, as well as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) not effectively distributing air throughout the building, seems to be a major contributing factor in SBS.

Indoor and outdoor pollution sources can also contribute to SBS. Indoor air pollution sources include:

• adhesives
• carpeting
• upholstery
• manufactured wood products
• copy machines
• pesticides
• cleaning agents

These sources can emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde.  Tobacco smoke emits high levels of VOCs, as well as other toxic compounds, and breathable particulate matter. The products of combustion, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and breathable particles come from burning sources like unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, woodstoves, fireplaces and gas stoves.

Outdoor pollution sources such as motor vehicle exhausts, plumbing vents, and bathroom and kitchen exhausts can contribute to indoor air pollution. Also, biological contaminants including bacteria, molds, pollens, and viruses may breed in standing or stagnant water in various locations throughout a building.

Removing or modifying the pollutant source when it is known and controllable is perhaps the best way to resolve an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problem. Also increasing ventilation and air distribution can help the problem.  Another method is to use air cleaners. Finally, using furnace or air filters, especially high performance filters that capture smaller, breathable particles is a great way to alleviate SBS.

Since 1972, the Clean Water Act has protected our streams, rivers, lakes, and other waterways from being polluted by industry. This legislation has served as a model for other countries since its inception. Now, there are forces at work in the U.S. that would dismantle this landmark law and make it easier for industries to discharge pollutants into our waters. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2018, the so-called Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011, which gives states more control over whether restrictions of industrial sources are tightened or relaxed. If passed, federal oversight would be lessened, and those states that desire to give industry less restriction would have more leeway to allow pollution into public waters. Presently, when a certain state isn’t tough enough on polluters, the Clean Water Act allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to step in and police that state’s industries more closely. If H.R. 2018 passes the Senate and is signed into law by the President, (who has threatened to veto the bill) we could see a return to the state of affairs that dominated the U.S. prior to 1972, when our waters were grossly polluted.

The assault on the Clean Water Act doesn’t stop with H.R. 2018. A Senate committee has approved H.R. 872, with the partisan sounding title “the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011.” If passed, those who would spray pesticides into U.S. waters will face less restrictions and oversight than now presented under the Clean Water Act.

The Clean Water Act has protected the waters of our country for almost 40 years. Even with this safeguard in place, the quality of many waterways has continued to decline. Those who would see the Clean Water Act dismantled see this decline as evidence of the Act’s ineffectiveness and a reason to ease restrictions. If anything, this shows that greater regulations are needed.

Hazards of Fluoride in Water

The painstaking debate continues about whether or not fluoride in your drinking water is beneficial for your teeth and health. For years, we were not concerned about what was in the water we drank, unless we noticed something floating around in it. However, the particles you don’t see is the thing that sends a cross bone and skull warning sign flying in front of our water sources and receptacles.

We are inundated with reports about the effects of fluoride and its impact on tooth decay. Some dental researchers indicate that the benefits of fluoride are primarily topical and not systemic. While we are not attacking the dental industry, there are many reviews and studies that discuss the dangers of a high intake of fluoride which extends beyond cosmetic concern. When examining the possible health effects associated with fluoride in drinking water, the EPA noted that exposure to excessive consumption of fluoride over a lifetime may lead to the likelihood of increased bone fractures in adults, along with pain and tenderness. They go on to say that children 8 years old and younger who are exposed to excessive amounts of fluoride increase their chances of developing pits in the tooth enamel, as well as a range of other cosmetic effects to their teeth.

Many contaminants found in our drinking water warrants significant concern for purification and safety. If your water comes from a household or private well, be sure to check with your health department or local water systems that use ground water, for information on harmful contaminants in your area. There is a variety of filtration systems designed to help remove or reduce numerous waterborne contaminants. When asked about how to remove fluoride from your drinking water, the EPA gave the following statement: “The following treatment method(s) have proven to be effective for removing fluoride to below 4.0 mg/L or 4.0 ppm: distillation or reverse osmosis.”

Reverse Osmosis Systems (RO) will typically use carbon filters, sediment filters and an RO membrane to reduce and remove waterborne contaminants. Reverse Osmosis (RO) removes more contaminants at a higher rate of efficiency than other forms of water filtration. We recommend that you use a reverse osmosis system like the Aqua-Pure APRO5500 Reverse Osmosis Water Filter, the Pentek RO-3500 Monitored Reverse Osmosis System or the Aqua Flo E75TFC-3SFBP RO System with Booster Pump for removing fluoride. The reverse osmosis system is normally located or installed under the sink.

So what do you think about fluoride in your drinking water? “To fluoride or not to fluoride? That is the question!” We would love to hear your comments about this ongoing discussion regarding the trials and tribulations of fluoride in our drinking water. We also invite you to vote in our poll that you will find in the upper right-hand corner on this blog. Do you own a reverse osmosis system? If so, we invite you to share your experience with us.



The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) has developed a new water quality software to improve our drinking water systems and ensure the safety of our nation’s water supply. The software is named “Canary,” perhaps taken from the phrase “canary in a coalmine“; when one canary dies down below, miners are alerted to evacuate immediately.

The software works in conjunction with water quality sensors placed throughout the water supply that can detect a variety of biological and chemical contaminants like pesticides, metals and pathogens. When contamination is detected, a “Do Not Drink” alert can be issued.

Canary was piloted by the Greater Cincinnati Water Works utility in 2007. It is available worldwide and is currently being evaluated in four U.S. cities – New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco – as well as in Singapore.

This innovative software is certainly an achievement. However, it will still require the use of disinfecting chemicals like chlorine to rid water of harmful contaminants. These chemicals give water a bad taste and are toxic over time. The safety of your drinking water can be further improved with the use of a water filter system that effectively removes chlorine, pesticides, metals and other contaminants. And if a “Do Not Drink” alert is ever issued in your city, you may not have to heed the warning.

We just wanted to share this news: the Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities Department was recently awarded the 2009 EPA Region IV Safe Drinking Water Act Excellence Award. This announcement is significant for us, because our offices are located in Monroe, North Carolina, just minutes outside the Mecklenburg County line. It’s great to know that our very own city is being recognized for its consistency in providing excellent drinking water treatment and safe delivery to local residents.  But if you think this gets you out of needing to buy a water filter, think again…

Most municipal water treatment plants use chlorine to disinfect water, and this often produces toxic byproducts that can be harmful to the body in large quantities while negatively affecting the taste and odor of your tap water.  We’re sure that Charlotte is no exception to this widely-accepted policy. A water filter can help reduce or eliminate these toxins, leaving you with fresh, great-tasting, odorless water. Faucet water filters, pitcher filters, and refrigerator water filters are great for this purpose. Since showering with chlorinated water can dry out your skin and lead to upper respiratory problems, it’s a good idea to invest in a shower water filter as well.

Please visit our forum to ask any questions you may have about ways to improve the water quality in your home.