Healthy Drinking Waters for

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Hydrogen Sulfide and Sulfate in Private Drinking Water Wells ann em

rivate well owners are responsible for the af er H

quality of their drinking water. !e U.S. d

P an x e Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does l m/A not regulate private wells. Homeowners with o .c o t o

private wells are generally not required to test h p k c their drinking water, although local Boards o of Health or mortgage lenders may require ©ist well water testing. While there is also no state requirement to have your well water tested, the taste. Water supplies with 1.0 milligram per Massachusetts Department of Environmental liter (parts per million) of hydrogen sulfide may Protection (MassDEP) recommends that all be corrosive and tarnish copper and silverware. homeowners with private wells do so, and use a It can also produce yellow or black stains on state certified testing laboratory. Homeowners kitchen and bathroom fixtures and can affect can use the public drinking water standards as the appearance and taste of some foods and guidelines to ensure drinking water quality. beverages. Treatment options for hydrogen !ere is no drinking water quality standard sulfide include aeration, granular activated set for hydrogen sulfide in water. !ere is, carbon filtration, and shock chlorination to kill however, a Secondary Maximum Contaminant the sulfur-producing bacteria. Level (SMCL) set for odor in drinking water, Sulfates are part of naturally occurring which would capture the presence of hydrogen minerals contained within soil and rock forma- sulfide. !e SMCL for sulfate in drinking water tions. As water percolates down through the is 250 milligrams per liter (parts per million) as soil, these minerals can dissolve releasing sul- established by the EPA. fates into groundwater. Treatment options for sulfates include reverse osmosis, distillation, Summary and ion exchange. Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that is produced naturally by decomposing organic material Potential Health Effects and sulfur-reducing bacteria. Hydrogen sulfide Hydrogen sulfide gas is flammable and poi- gives water a nuisance “rotten egg” smell and sonous at high concentrations. Usually it is

1

Healthy Drinking Waters for Massachusetts

H y d r o g e n S u l f i d e a n d S u l f a t e i n P r i v a t e D r i n k i n g W a t e r W e l l s

not a health risk at concentrations present in household water. Build up of hydrogen sulfide concentrations in confined areas has been known to cause adverse health effects. Water with dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas alone does not cause disease. In rare cases, however, hydrogen sulfide odor may be from wastewater pollution, which can contain disease-causing contaminants. !erefore, arrange to test the water for bacterial con- tamination if sewage is the likely source of hydrogen sulfide. In addition, you may want to conduct a detergent test if wastewater contamination is suspected. Elevated sulfate levels in water may have a e n g laxative effect that can lead to dehydration and a e G is mostly a concern for infants. While a nui- is m/L o .c

sance, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria do not present o t o h p

any known human health risk. k c o ©ist Indication of Hydrogen Sulfide and Sulfate in Drinking Water Hydrogen sulfide gas produces

o an offensive brass utensils. It can also cause yellow or black an

anz “rotten egg” or “sulfur water” odor and taste in stains on kitchen and bathroom fixtures. e M

ik the water.

m/ M • Most people can detect hydrogen sulfide in Coffee, tea, and other beverages made o .c o t o water at concentrations as low as 0.5 with hydrogen sulfide contaminated water may h p k c o milligrams per liter. be discolored and the appearance and taste of

©ist • Concentrations less than 1 milligram per cooked foods can be affected. liter give water a “musty” or “swampy” odor. ut o

enh • A concentration of 1 – 2 milligrams per liter High concentrations of dissolved hydrogen a y M gives water the “rotten egg” smell and makes sulfide can foul the resin bed of an ion ex- mm o it very corrosive to household plumbing. change water softener. When hydrogen sulfide m/T o .c

o odor occurs in treated water, yet was not t o h p The odor may be noticeable k only when the originally detected in the pre-treated water, c o water is initially turned on or when hot water this usually indicates the presence of sulfate- ©ist is running. Heat forces the hydrogen sulfide reducing bacteria in the treatment system. Ion gas into the air, which may cause the odor to be exchange units provide a convenient environ- particularly offensive in the shower. ment for these bacteria to grow. A “salt-loving” bacteria, which uses sulfates (naturally occur- Hydrogen sulfide is corrosive to metals ring from dissolved minerals in soil and rock) such as iron, steel, copper, and brass. It can as an energy source, produces a black slime tarnish silverware and discolor copper and inside ion exchange units. Regular treatment

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©istockphoto.com/ Sean Locke Healthy Drinking Waters for Massachusetts

H y d r o g e n S u l f i d e a n d S u l f a t e i n P r i v a t e D r i n k i n g W a t e r W e l l s

few days or weeks to flush out the accumu- lated particles.

Naturally Occurring Sulfates When the problem is naturally occurring sul- fate, small concentrations may be treated using point-of-use distillation and reverse osmosis. Large concentrations may be treated using a whole-house ion exchange treatment. !is process is also used to soften hard water and reduce iron and manganese in drinking water. !is treatment may be problematic with the presence of sulfate reducing bacteria.

e When choosing a treatment system, k c o consider both the initial cost and the operat- an L e ing costs. Operating costs include the energy m/ S o .c o t needed to operate the system, additional water o h p k c that may be needed for flushing the system, o

©ist consumable supplies and filters, repairs, and general maintenance. Regardless of the quality of the equipment purchased, it will not operate well unless maintained in accordance with the manufac- turer’s recommendations. Keep a logbook to record equipment maintenance and repairs. Equipment maintenance may include periodic cleaning and replacement of some compo- nents. Also consider any special installation requirements that may add to the equipment cost. For more information, refer to the fact sheet: Questions to Ask When Purchasing Water Treatment Equipment.

5 Healthy Drinking Waters for Massachusetts

H y d r o g e n S u l f i d e a n d S u l f a t e i n P r i v a t e D r i n k i n g W a t e r W e l l s

Resources

UMass Extension US Environmental Protection Agency !is fact sheet is one in a series on drinking For a complete list of primary and secondary water wells, testing, protection, common drinking water standards: contaminants, and home water treatment http://www.epa.gov/safewater methods available on-line at the University of Massachusetts website: MA Department of Conservation http://www.umass.edu/nrec/watershed_ and Recreation, Division of Water water_quality/watershed_online_docs.html Supply Protection and Cape Cod Cooperative Extension: Maintains listing of registered well 508-375-6699 drillers, information on well location and http://www.capecodextension.org construction: 617-626-1409 http://www.mass.gov/dcr/waterSupply/ MA Department of Environmental welldril/index.htm Protection, Division of Environmental Analysis NSF International Offers assistance, information on testing and !e NSF International has tested and certi- state certified laboratories: 617-292-5770 fied treatment systems since 1965. For For a listing of MassDEP certified private information on water treatment systems: laboratories in Massachusetts: 800-NSF-MARK (800-673-6275) http://www.mass.gov/dep/service/ http://www.nsf.org/consumer/ compliance/wespub02.htm Water Quality Association U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, !e Water Quality Association is a not-for- New England Office profit international trade association repre- Information and education on where senting the household, commercial, indus- drinking water comes from; drinking water trial, and small community water treatment testing and national laws; and how to industry. For information on water quality prevent contamination: contaminants and treatment systems: http://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/drinkwater http://www.wqa.org

!is publication is adapted from a URI fact sheet by the same name produced by the Rhode Island Department of Health and the University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program. UMass Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer, United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Contact your local Extension office for information on disability accommodations or the UMass Extension Director if you have complaints related to discrimination, 413-545-4800. !is project was funded, in part, by a grant from US EPA. !is material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2004-51130-03108. 06/01/07

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