What are the Effects of High Levels of Iron in Water?
You must have heard the famous saying ‘anything in excess quantity is bad.’ Though iron is undoubtedly an essential mineral, when it is present in excessive quantity in water that we consume, it becomes a harmful substance.
HOW DOES IRON GET INTO THE WATER?
Iron is a naturally occurring substance. It is present in water bodies like lakes and rivers as well as in underground water. It may also be released from the natural deposits, refining of iron ores, and industrial waste. Now that you understand how iron gets into water let us move on with our discussion.
WHAT ARE THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF TOO MUCH IRON IN THE WATER?
High concentration of iron in water has many harmful effects, some of which are listed underneath:
Effects on Skin
Water with excess iron levels is bad for your skin. It can cause wrinkles by damaging healthy skin cells.
Moreover, water that has dissolved iron does not blend well with soap. Thus, after bathing soap scum residue will be left on your skin, clogging skin pores and oil buildup. It will ultimately result in skin problems like eczema or acne.
Effects on Hair
High levels of iron in water can alter its textural appearance. Iron concentration will darken the color of your hair slowly, inducing red colored highlights which won’t look good. It may cause dryness in your hair.
Effects on Health
High levels of iron in water are considered to be a contaminant. It can cause stomach problems, vomiting, nausea, and other issues. Too much iron in water that you consume will lead to iron overload. It can cause heart, liver, and pancreatic damage.
Effects on Drinks & Food
Excessive levels of iron in water will produce an unpleasant metallic taste. Utilizing this water to make beverages like tea and coffee will make them taste bad. Moreover, using water with high dissolved iron content will give it a darker color.
Other Effects – Staining & Clogging
Staining Effects
Iron has the propensity to leave a reddish-brown residue. Thus, the water with an excess amount of dissolved iron will stain your dishwasher, sinks, bathtubs, showers, toilets, utensils, etc.
Clogging Effects
When the water with high iron levels flows through your pipes, iron residue gets accumulated in it. It can clog your sinks and toilets and decrease the water pressure too.
Now that you are aware of the harmful effects of iron in the water let us answer a set of few questions.
HOW CAN I FIND OUT THE LEVEL OF IRON IN THE WATER?
The best way to figure out if your water has iron in an excessive amount is by getting it tested by reliable technicians. They use an iron water test kit consisting of test strips which will give you the required results.
Call us today at (765 588-6779) to schedule your free water test!
WHAT ARE THE ACCEPTABLE IRON LEVELS IN WATER?
It is recommended that the iron levels in drinking water should not be more than 0.3 ppm or mg/L (part per million or milligrams per liter).
Since your body requires iron content, this is the permissible limit of iron in drinking water which will not have any adverse effects.
After getting to know about the harmful effects of iron in water as well as the acceptable levels of iron in the water, let us get to know how to overcome this problem.
WHAT IS THE BEST METHOD IN TERMS OF WATER TREATMENT FOR IRON REMOVAL?
The most feasible method of water treatment to remove or decrease the levels of iron in water is to install the best iron filter. An iron water filter effectively converts the dissolved iron particles into precipitate form so that they can be easily removed from the water. It uses oxidants for this process.