Puricare Industrial Enterprises: SODIUM IN GROUNDWATER - Sodium is often naturally found in groundwater. An increase in sodium in groundwater above ambient or natural levels may indicate pollution from point or non-point sources or salt water intrusion. Sodium is not considered harmful at normal levels of intake from combined food and drinking water sources. However, increased intake of sodium in drinking water may be problematic for people with hypertension, heart disease or kidney problems that require them to follow a low sodium diet.

Friday, May 19, 2017

SODIUM IN GROUNDWATER - Sodium is often naturally found in groundwater. An increase in sodium in groundwater above ambient or natural levels may indicate pollution from point or non-point sources or salt water intrusion. Sodium is not considered harmful at normal levels of intake from combined food and drinking water sources. However, increased intake of sodium in drinking water may be problematic for people with hypertension, heart disease or kidney problems that require them to follow a low sodium diet.

Sodium in Groundwater

Sodium is often naturally found in groundwater.

What is sodium?

Sodium is a highly soluble chemical element with the symbol “Na.”

In water, sodium has no smell but it can be tasted by most people at concentrations of 200 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or more.

Within British Columbia the ambient concentration of sodium in groundwater ranges from a few mg/L to over 100 mg/L.

High concentrations of sodium in groundwater occur naturally in some areas.

For example, on the Gulf Islands sodium levels have been shown to range up to thousands of mg/L depending upon the location and depth of the well.

An increase in sodium in groundwater above ambient or natural levels may indicate pollution from point or non-point sources or salt water intrusion.

The Canadian drinking water quality objective for sodium is an Aesthetic Objective (AO) of 200 mg/L.

What are the known sources of sodium?

All groundwater contains some sodium because most rocks and soils contain sodium compounds from which sodium is easily dissolved.

The most common sources of elevated sodium levels in groundwater are:

• Erosion of salt deposits and sodium bearing rock minerals

• Naturally occurring brackish water of some aquifers

• Salt water intrusion into wells in coastal areas

• Infiltration of surface water contaminated by road salt

• Irrigation and precipitation leaching through soils high in sodium

• Groundwater pollution by sewage effluent

• Infiltration of leachate from landfills or industrial sites.

What are the environmental health concerns?

Sodium is a principal chemical in bodily fluids.

Sodium is not considered harmful at normal levels of intake from combined food and drinking water sources.

However, increased intake of sodium in drinking water may be problematic for people with hypertension, heart disease or kidney problems that require them to follow a low sodium diet.

Individuals on sodium restricted diets may want to discuss concerns related to sodium intake from drinking water with their doctor.

What can well owners and water suppliers do about sodium contamination of well water?

Sodium is not removed by pitcher-type filtration units or boiling, which may in fact concentrate it further.

Water treatment methods such as distillation, or reverse osmosis are the only effective methods of sodium removal, though these may be expensive for use in small water systems.

High sodium concentrations may be discovered more easily than other water quality concerns due to the taste of sodium chloride and sodium sulphate in water at levels above the drinking water guidelines.

Proper well site selection and construction is critical to prevent contamination of wells with sodium from surface sources such as irrigation, or sewage discharges.

Proper handling, storage and use of road salt will also minimize groundwater contamination.

Water conservation measures, particularly in summer months when groundwater recharge is lowest, may reduce the risk of salt water intrusion in coastal areas.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/plan_protect_sustain/groundwater/library/ground_fact_sheets/pdfs/na(020715)_fin2.pdf
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