What is nitrate
Nitrate is a chemical compound found in many natural and human sources, including fertilizers and sewage. When nitrate enters drinking water, it can cause health problems, especially in infants and young children.
Nitrate problem in drinking water
When nitrate is ingested in the human body, it can be converted to nitrite, which can lead to a reduction in oxygen levels in the blood. This is known as methemoglobinemia, or "blue mold disease." In infants and young children, this can be particularly dangerous, as it can lead to a lack of oxygen in the body and even death.
The nitrate problem in drinking water is often caused by human activities such as agricultural management, sewage disposal and industrial activities. However, there are also natural sources of nitrate in groundwater that depend on geological conditions.
To reduce nitrate in drinking water, various methods can be used, such as reverse osmosis, ion exchange or activated carbon filtration.
It is important to note that compliance with regulations on nitrate levels in drinking water is mandatory in many countries. For example, the limit for nitrate in drinking water in the European Union is 50 mg/l. If the water exceeds this limit, the authorities are obliged to take measures to correct the problem.
Overall, nitrate in drinking water is a serious health risk that should be taken seriously by authorities and the public.
How dangerous are nitrates in drinking water?
Nitrogen is a chemical element that is needed by all living things on earth. It is a component of amino acids (proteins) and nucleic acids, i.e. the carrier of genetic material, and is therefore an essential chemical substance. The vitality of nitrogen for living things, its uptake - nitrogen assimilation and its release from dead biomass is maintained by the nitrogen cycle. This biochemical process describes the migration of the chemical element nitrogen through the atmosphere, soil, water and living things. Fungi and bacteria are mainly involved in maintaining this cycle, decomposing and converting dead biomass and releasing it again as ammonium. On the other hand, the nitrogen bound in the ammonium is released again by bacteria by processing the molecule in an intermediate stage first into nitrite and then into nitrate . Since the nitrogen cycle takes place both on land and in water, an excessive ammonia content can lead to acidification of the soil and groundwater.
The fact is that a study carried out by the Ministry of the Environment found that over a quarter of the measuring points had too high a nitrate concentration. This excess of bound nitrogen not only puts a strain on biodiversity, but also on the human body. The main cause of this excess of nitrate is the use of nitrogen fertilizers and excess biomass in agriculture. This can lead to serious physical impairments, particularly in infants. Nitrate ions are processed in the human body via metabolic processes to form nitrite and nitrosamines, which attack red blood cells. Nitrogen-containing molecules are also suspected of causing cancer and impairing the body's absorption of iodine. The result is vascular constriction and blockages as well as circulatory problems.
The advantages of tap water over bottled water!
Tap water offers several advantages over bottled water: Tap water is more strictly controlled than bottled water. The strict requirements of the health authority for water suppliers to protect end users require them to provide water of the quality required by consumers. Furthermore, landlords must ensure that the pipes in the building are in perfect condition. They are therefore prohibited from using toxic lead pipes in the building. Chemical residues such as nitrates can be reduced and removed using filters, so that a consistently high water quality can be guaranteed. The use of plastics and other materials to store bottled water places additional strain on the environment. It has also been found that mineral water does not contain any more minerals than tap water. Last but not least, purchasing bottled water is associated with costs that can even be physically stressful. Transporting heavy bottles in old age is a risk that can be avoided, especially since a liter of tap water costs only half a cent, whereas bottled water costs twenty-five cents.
The nitrate filter and its effect as a water filter
In order to obtain drinking water of the highest quality, it is essential, especially when using groundwater, to clean and filter it with a water filter. Filtration and cleaning of the water can be carried out using mechanical cleaning or biological and chemical processes. For the mechanical cleaning of suspended matter and coarser materials, water filters with small pore sizes in the form of ceramic, sand or activated carbon are required, which clean the water using a sieving process. The water is pressed through the sieve using a pump, where the dirt remains trapped.
In contrast, the nitrate filter filters the nitrate ions from the nitrogen cycle either through denitrification, i.e. the conversion of the nitrate into elemental nitrogen, or through anion exchange. The first principle is based on bacteria that can breathe the oxygen bound in the nitrate. For this to happen, a carbon source must be present, such as paraffin beads or alcohol, which oxidize the oxygen. The anion exchanger, on the other hand, works with nitrate resin filters to remove excess nitrate ions from the drinking water. To do this, the nitrate in the nitrate-contaminated water is replaced by chloride and regenerated with a ten percent saline solution.
