I will explore the potential risks of exposure to two members of a family of man-made chemicals called PFAS. These chemicals are PFOA and PFOS.

I will discuss the sources of PFOA and PFOS. These include leaching from industrial sites, the use of consumer products, and food and water contamination.

I will also discuss the exposure pathways of PFOA and PFOS. I will examine the regulations and guidelines for the use of these chemicals. I will also investigate their impact on the environment and various industries.

I will guide how to limit exposure to PFOA and PFOS and protect oneself from potential health risks. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have been primary environmental safety concerns raised recently. There may be short and long-term health impacts on humans.

This guide covers the potential risks of PFOA and PFOS. It explains their sources and exposure pathways. It also looks at regulations and guidelines for their usage and impact on the environment and industries.

Introduction to PFOA and PFOS

PFOA and PFOS are fluorinated organic compounds used in various industrial and consumer applications for decades. PFOA is a synthetic chemical that produces non-stick coatings, stain-resistant fabrics, and water-resistant clothing. PFOS is another synthetic chemical used in firefighting foams, stain-resistant coatings, and cleaning products.

Topics: water treatment issues, water quality, water treatment, advanced treatment solutions, FDA, Safe drinking water, wastewater, Global, RO system, DeLoach Industries, Inc., Drinking Water, PFA's, DeLoach Industries, Cosmetics, make-up, water process system, removing PFAS & PFOS, pfas exposure, health effects of pfas, nonstick cookware, wastewater treatment system, water treatment standards, PFOS, safe drinking water act, pfoa regulations, the environmental protection agency, drinking water standards, adverse health effects, water resistant clothing, environmental safety

PFAS, or 'the forever chemicals, due to their long-lasting nature, are present in nonstick cookware, food packaging, and stain repellents and can cause health issues. Knowing the sources, making conscious decisions about products, limiting processed and packaged foods, and opting for safer alternatives is essential. You can protect yourself and your family from potential harm through these steps.

 What is PFAS?

PFAS are a class of chemical substances used in various commercial and industrial applications, including nonstick cookware, stain repellents, and food packaging.

There are two main types of PFAS:

• Traditional PFAS
• Next-generation PFAS (also known as 'long-chain' PFAS).

Traditional PFAS include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which have been phased out in the United States due to health concerns.

Next-generation PFAS such as perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) have also been identified as contaminants in drinking water and other consumer products. Unfortunately, next-generation PFAS are not regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Health effects of PFAS

PFAS exposure at low levels can cause a few health risks and medical conditions, such as weakened immunity, thyroid issues, and cancer. Research is ongoing to see if it can impact fetus/baby growth and development, but these results are not definitive. Pregnant women can pass on PFAS to their fetuses, which could hurt the infant's health. Also, children exposed to PFAS in their young years may be at a higher risk for getting ADHD in the future.

Topics: water quality, advanced treatment solutions, Safe drinking water, Global, distillation, DeLoach Industries, Inc., Drinking Water, Clean Water, Contaminated Water, PFA's, Water Test, Water Test Kit, DeLoach Industries, make-up, removing PFAS & PFOS, pfas exposure, health effects of pfas, exposure to pfas, nonstick cookware, food packaging

If you’ve been reading the news lately, you know nanoparticles are not so great. In everything from cosmetics to water filters, nanoparticles have been shown to cause various health problems. But what exactly are nanoparticles, and how can you protect yourself from their harmful effects? Let’s answer these questions and more with this quick guide on removing nanoparticles from your drinking water.

What are Nanoparticles?

Nano is a prefix that’s used to indicate how small something is. In the case of nanoparticles, it means particles less than 100 nanometers. Water filters that use nanoparticles are generally around 0.2 to 0.3 microns or 2,000 to 3,000 nanometers. That’s pretty small. There are some health concerns with nanoparticles. When ingested, they can cause inflammatory reactions in the body, disrupt normal organ function, and lead to a buildup of fluids in the lungs or other organs. A 2017 study found that the number of nanoparticles in drinking water is higher than expected and that using carbon filtration may make some nanoparticles more likely to leach into the water.

Where Are Nanoparticles Found?

Nanoparticles are found in a lot of modern products. Their small size makes them ideal for air and water filters, sunscreens, and cosmetics. It’s important to note that not all nanoparticles are harmful. Some are beneficial. Nanoparticles of silver are often added to water filters to help remove bacteria and other contaminants from drinking water. There are a few places where nanoparticles are most often found. - In water filters - Nanoparticles are often added to water filters to help remove bacteria and harmful contaminants. - In sunscreens - Some sunscreen products contain nanoparticles of zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and other minerals that provide broad UV protection. - In cosmetics - Many makeups, lip balms, and other beauty products contain nanoparticles of iron, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and other minerals that help preserve the product and provide color.

Topics: water treatment issues, water quality, water treatment, advanced treatment solutions, About DeLoach Industries, water plant, safety, Safe drinking water, Global, distillation, RO membrane, RO system, particulate matter, filters, municipal water systems, residential well water systems, DeLoach Industries, Inc., Drinking Water, Clean Water, Water Test, Water Test Kit, DeLoach Industries, technology, minerals, temperature, nanoparticles, Cosmetics, Nano, make-up, organ function, contaminants, pressure filters, reverse osmosis, carbon filters, UV filters, activated carbon

The water treatment industry has developed and evolved over the years to continue to find new ways to produce degassed water,

with many advances in both the technological methods of treatment as well as the refinement of the existing methods. The evolution of water treatment has been driven by the need for increased demand and over safety standards.

All human cultures on our planet share a 

single commonality and

that is the dependency on water to survive.

Many existing technologies such as “degasification” have evolved with higher efficiency to meet the demand changes and provide safety to consumers and to systems. Degasification refers to the removal of dissolved gases from liquids and the science to degasify water is based upon the “Henry’s Law” or to be exact the “proportionality factor is called the Henry’s law constant” and was developed by William Henry in the early 19th century.

Henry’s Law states that the amount of dissolved gas is proportional to its partial pressure in the gas. The most effective method to perform degasification is with the packed vertical tower called a degasifier or decarbonator. When water enters at the top of the tower it gravity feeds downward across a media bed. The media bed acts to reshape the water over and over again exposing any dissolved gas molecules to the surface of the water droplet.  At the same time that the water is traveling down the interior of the tower an air flow is introduced in a cross current method either by force or by induction that passes over the water droplets and “strips” the gas molecules out of the water. The gases that are stripped then leave the tower through the exhaust at the top of the tower. This is the “basics of water degasification”.

Topics: water quality, degasification, pH levels of water, water treatment, advanced treatment solutions, water plant, safety, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), Chemical Odor, media packing, pH levels, Decarbonation, dissolved gases, wastewater, Global, carbon dioxide, decarbonator, degasifier, gases, RO membrane, H2S Degasifier, degassed water

Ten years ago if I had purposed that one day our water would have artificial intelligence I think I would have been laughed out of the industry. But now, anything you can imagine with the new electronic revolution is possible because of the current revolution referred to as “The Internet of Things” (IoT). Placing nano size SIP (Systems in a package) into a water stream and tracking its path or location or perform inspections on critical infrastructure or equipment is now a reality.

Water treatment equipment communicating with each other to enhance performance, make adjustments without operator input

is now a reality. The birth of artificial intelligence is changing our lives and how we do business. For the water and wastewater industry it will open new doors, create new challenges such as increased need for cyber security and revolutionize how we think, plan, design, and engineer our future water treatment plants.

For years we have been operating and controlling process water plants and wastewater plants remotely with communication interface devices. We can monitor, turn on, turn off, collect data, and even adjust flow across states or even countries by utilizing communication services both cellular and hard wire.

The safety of our water and power infrastructure is at its peak point of risk and vulnerability from cyber hacking from an outside third uninvited party. Whether a terrorist or a prankster our infrastructure for water, wastewater, and power is our countries lifeblood and without it there would certainly be panic and chaos within days of a cyber-attack.

Topics: degasification, water treatment, advanced treatment solutions, water plant, phosphate levels, pH levels, Alkalinity, Global, decarbonator, degasifier

One of the largest consumers of energy in the US are the water and wastewater treatment plants.

Because of the need for large horsepower pumps and blowers a municipal water and wastewater treatment plant consumes a tremendous amount of kilowatt hours of electricity. The cost of the energy is factored into the “cost of production” of the treatment of water or wastewater and the “rate base” charge is increase accordingly to the consumer.

Does Renewable Power Work in a Water Treatment Plant?

Because solar energy is “space intensive” you do not see a lot of solar power being deployed across the USA at water treatment plants. This is in our opinion a mistake and most likely the decision was made back when solar power output was much lower. Now with increased efficiency of the solar panels and a decrease in production cost it makes tremendous sense to revisit the use of Solar energy for offsetting the operational cost of a water treatment plant or wastewater treatment plant operation.

Providing solar energy for specific pieces of process equipment is also a viable option when you consider deploying solar energy. As an example, to operate a Degasification tower or Decarbonator utilizing 10 350 watt solar panels will generate 3500 watts during peak day light hours and enough to offset the cost of smaller horsepower blower motors. If the solar panels are configured as a canopy they can also provide a nice shade or protection barrier above the piece of equipment if installed outdoors as most packed column towers are located outside.

What about other forms of renewable energy do they work?

At water treatment or wastewater treatment facilities? The use of Co-generation has been around for many years at Wastewater plant facilities waste water treatment plant. A cogeneration unit is a combination “Generator” to produce power and a “Thermal” energy source to produce heated water. The water can be used domestically or can be used to produce chilled water with the help of a Chiller system. The waste water treatment plant  provides a critical component by producing gases such as “Methane” which can be utilized as a fuel source for the cogeneration unit. Water treatment plants do not produce methane gases or other combustible forms of gases so you normally do not see Co-generation units deployed at a Water treatment facility.

Topics: degasification, water treatment, water distribution system, advanced treatment solutions, water plant, Decarbonation, wastewater, Recycling, Global, steam generation, steam

Over the last 2 decades there has been vast development and improvement of wastewater technologies in regards to the water treatment processes that have been driven by both need and governmental regulations. Today, municipalities and Countries are recognizing the need to recycle wastewater into drinking water and in locations such as the Caribbean and other foreign nations the wastewater to drinking water industry is more of a “must” than a choice.

Topics: water quality, advanced treatment solutions, Safe drinking water, wastewater, Recycling, Caribbean, Global

Water treatment in the Caribbean offers distant challenges for water professionals. During the design process an engineer must examine multiples aspects of a potential project to ascertain the most cost effective and most sustainable approach. Geographic location can become a major variable during the design selection process. As an example, if the location is remote, too often the shipping of liquid chemicals becomes a challenge as well as the training of operators to safely handle the chemicals during normal operations. The ability to secure trained operators may impact the success or failure of a water treatment process such as membrane separation, reverse osmosis and degasification or decarbonation not to mention odor control.

Topics: water treatment issues, water quality, degasification, pH levels of water, water treatment, advanced treatment solutions, water plant, odor control scrubber, pH levels, Alkalinity, Recycling, Caribbean, Global