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Sulfur is not regulated as a primary drinking-water
contaminant, so there is no official level of sulfur that
represents a threshold between healthy and unhealthy
concentrations. Sulfur is required by all living things as
part of their normal metabolism, so the body needs a
certain amount of sulfur just to live. Any adverse effects
of sulfur in drinking water appear to be related to the
following issues:
1.
Hydrogen sulfide
(H2S) is sometimes present in well
water. A few tenths of a milligram of hydrogen sulfide per
liter can cause drinking water to have a rotten-egg odor.
While unpleasant, it is not harmful to health.
2.
High concentrations of sulfate
(SO4--)
may be associated with diarrhea. For this reason, and for
aesthetic reasons related to taste and odor, the
Environmental Protection Agency currently has a secondary
drinking-water standard of 250 milligrams per liter (mg/L)
sulfate. Further information on sulfate and drinking water
can be found at this web site
3.
Some waters with elevated sulfate also tend to have low pH
(as in acid mine drainage). The pH of water is usually
checked when well water is tested. A pH between
6.5 and 8.5
is in the range recommended by EPA.
Bottom line: If you are not bothered by a rotten-egg odor,
and you don't have a sulfate concentration over
250 mg/L,
you should have nothing to worry about from the sulfur. |
