Sulfur Water Filters – Chlorinating and Aerating High PH Water Supplies
Point of use sulfur water filters are perfect for consumers on a high pH
water supply. Surface waters are typically less likely to contain hydrogen
sulfide since flowing waters are aerated naturally, which promotes an oxidation
reaction. Although harmless, sulfur bacteria may be found in the household's hot
water tank. If that proves to be the case, one solution to clean the system up
is to disinfect the water heater with chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide.
Most point of use water filtration
systems for treating sulfur water rely on the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide
gas into elemental sulfur, a solid. Hydrogen sulfide can be oxidized by several
methods. Continuous chlorination is a widely used and effective method for the
required oxidization, especially if the pH is 6.0-8.0. Another common treatment
for sulfur in the well or municipal supply is aeration. Hydrogen sulfide is
physically removed by agitating the water via bubbling or cascading and then
separating or "stripping" the hydrogen gas in a container.
Aeration is most effective when hydrogen concentrations are lower than 2.0 mg/l.
Manganese greensand is another common treatment method for removing sulfur from
drinking water. It is usually recommended for water that contains less than 6.0
milligrams per liter of hydrogen sulfide. A manganese greensand filter has a
special coating that oxidizes the gas into solid sulfur particles, which are
filtered at the point of use.
When used alone, activated carbon filtration removes very small amounts of this
hydrogen gas, generally concentrations below 0.3 mg/l. Activated carbon,
however, has a limited capacity to absorb hydrogen sulfide. As a result,
activated carbon is not effective for removing moderate or high concentrations
of hydrogen in drinking water. Point of use chlorination systems will treat the
sulfur only at that particular faucet, or you can install a
whole house water filter
system and aerator to treat the entire supply.
For more information also see:
Well water filters
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