Mercury - Tap water contaminant, Facts and Removal Methods

Although Mercury is not as common a contaminant as Lead, it is still sometimes found in tap water. It makes its way to the water usually from manufacturing plants and mines. Mercury is not good for you at all - whether exposed for a short or long period it can lead to severe health problems. Mercury is regulated by measuring the Maximum Contamination Limit, or MCL - the MCL for this particular contaminant is 2 parts per billion. At these levels Mercury is not harmful to health. If, however, authorities test water and find that the MCL is higher than that, it is their duty to inform the public through local media. They will put up notices in newspapers, on TV, radio and any other means that can get word to the general public.

There are several ways that water treatment companies remove Mercury from your tap water. They can use coagulation or filtration, granular activated carbon, lime softening and reverse osmosis.

Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning

It is very important to know the symptoms of Mercury poisoning. Unfortunately, many of them mimic symptoms of other chronic illnesses, and doctors end up treating for these symptoms instead of Mercury poisoning. Some of the symptoms include migraines, skin problems, inexplicable aches and pains, memory loss and dementia and intestinal problems. If you suddenly develop any of these symptoms without any explanation it is important to tell your doctor to test your blood for Mercury - it may save you long term treatment of an illness that you don't actually suffer from.

Reducing Mercury in your Drinking Water

One way to make sure that no Mercury in your system is to use a water filter jug in your kitchen - Mercury on the skin is just as bad as Mercury ingested. Water filter jugs are available online and they come in all forms so it is important to be careful when you are choosing. These water filter jugs work through water filters that take out not just Mercury but other contaminants that may be present in water. Choose a water filter jug brand that is specifically made to filter out 99% of all Mercury - not all of them do.

You should buy a water filter jug that is from a renowned manufacturer. Do not assume that the more expensive the better - when it comes to water filter jugs this logic does not apply. Instead, buy a brand that you can afford and that has good customer reviews. When buying a water filter jug you should consider the amount of space that you have in your fridge if it is important to you that the jug fits in the fridge. If you have a big family there are all kinds of sizes of water filter jugs to chose from make sure to pick the right one for your family. In the UK several brands are available, we have to recommend using the reputed Culligan ZeroWater filter jugs. In the UK Culligan ZeroWater makes handling the challenge of reducing contaminants in your water easy with its water filter jugs. Their jugs use a five-stage ion exchange filter that help soften your drinking water. Culligan ZeroWater's water filter jugs reduce contaminants such as Calcium, Magnesium, Mercury and almost all Nitrate compounds along with many other foreign elements in your tap water. As water flows through the Culligan ZeroWater water filter, it reduces Mercury by 99%.

You can also fit filters in all shower heads and taps to eliminate the risk of exposure to Mercury. Check out our recommended water filter jugs here: /.