Mercury In Drinking Water: What Amount Is Safe?

Introduction

Mercury is a dangerous chemical that can cause serious health problems. The amount of mercury in drinking water varies from place to place, so it’s important to know how much mercury your local tap water contains. Some people are exposed to more than others, and there are ways you can reduce your exposure.

Mercury is a dangerous chemical that can cause serious health problems.

Mercury is a heavy metal that can be found in many different places. It’s used as an ingredient in many products, including vaccines and fluorescent light bulbs.

Mercury poisoning has been known to cause brain damage, autism, learning disabilities and other health problems. In addition to being dangerous for adults and children alike (especially those with compromised immune systems), mercury exposure during pregnancy can lead to birth defects such as blindness or deafness if the mother’s level of mercury reaches 5 nanograms/milliliter or higher during pregnancy

There are many ways that you can be exposed to mercury. It’s a naturally occurring element in the environment, so you could be exposed when working with soil or water contaminated by it.

Mercury is also used in some products such as batteries, thermometers and artists’ paints. Eating fish that have higher levels of mercury in them can lead to mercury poisoning as well.

The amount of mercury in drinking water varies from place to place.

While the amount of mercury in drinking water varies from place to place, it’s typically very low. The average daily consumption of water in the US is about two liters per day—or 16 ounces. That’s not much!

However, some sources do contain more than others—and this could affect the amount of mercury you consume through your tap or well. If you live near a river with high levels of contamination such as mercury or cadmium (which is often found alongside lead), then it may be wise for you to consider purchasing bottled water instead if possible so that your family doesn’t consume too much harmful material every time they take a sip from their faucet

What Is A Safe Level Of Mercury In Drinking Water?

There is no safe level of mercury in drinking water.

The EPA recommends that all Americans have their water tested for mercury at least once every three years, but you should contact your local utility company if you have questions about how often to test your water or what type of testing method is best for your situation.

If you find that the amount of mercury in your tap water exceeds 3 parts per billion (ppb), then it’s time for an upgrade: Your tap must be flushed with new city water until its levels return below 4 ppb. You can also use filters like Brita or PUR pitchers; however, these won’t remove all traces of toxins from contaminated water sources so make sure not to rely solely on these methods alone when checking up on the quality of sources around town!

What Health Problems Can Mercury Cause?

Mercury can cause a number of health problems, including:

• Neurological problems. Mercury exposure is linked to neurological damage, including memory loss and impaired learning abilities in children.
• Kidney damage. Exposure to high levels of mercury may result in kidney damage (nephrotoxicity) that can lead to some forms of kidney failure, even when the amount isn’t considered dangerous by itself.
• Reproductive problems like infertility and miscarriage (miscarriage). Exposure during pregnancy may result in birth defects or miscarriages among newborns who are exposed through their mother’s blood or umbilical cord blood during delivery; this is called “fetal-maternal” transfer of mercury from one generation into another via breast milk or umbilical cord blood

How Do People Typically Become Exposed To Mercury?

Mercury is found in a number of different products and can be released into the environment through several ways. It’s used in some types of tooth fillings, as well as in some vaccines. Mercury can also be found in fish that are eaten by humans or other animals (for example, tuna).

How Can You Tell If Your Drinking Water Has High Levels Of Mercury?

You can check with your local authorities to see if there is any information on how much mercury is safe to drink. The EPA’s Mercury and Drinking Water Fact Sheet has some general guidelines, but it’s best to consult with a professional engineer or environmental health expert before making any decisions about the safety of your drinking water.

The EPA also has a website where you can take a look at their testing results for yourself: http://waterqualitydata.epa.gov/index_drinking_water_testing/drinking_water_reports

How Can People Reduce Their Exposure To Mercury From Drinking Water?

If you’re concerned about mercury in your drinking water, there are several things that you can do to reduce your exposure.

• Use a filter in your home. Filters remove 90% or more of the mercury from household water sources, such as faucets and hot water heaters. You can also purchase them at hardware stores or home improvement stores for around $10-$20 each (depending on size). Filters may be difficult to install in some cases; if this is the case for you, ask someone who has experience installing them before buying a filter system so that they know how much space they need and what types of materials would work best with yours.
• Drink bottled water instead of tap water if possible—even when taking medication that could affect its taste or smell any way! Bottled waters typically contain far less contaminants than tap waters since companies don’t have access to municipal pipes where most people get their supply from – so it’s important not only because it tastes better but also because consuming bottled beverages decreases exposure even further from contaminants found throughout those same municipal supplies used by households across entire communities (including those near mines).

Mercury can be hazardous, but there are ways to deal with it.

Mercury is a dangerous chemical, but it’s also one that can be removed from drinking water. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends filtering your tap water with a Brita filter or purchasing bottled water if you live in an area where the average level of mercury exceeds 1 part per million (ppm).

While the EPA recommends using these two methods to remove mercury from your home’s drinking water, they’re not necessarily the only ones available—and some people might want to invest in other solutions instead. For example:

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are many ways to reduce your exposure to mercury from drinking water. But if you do have high levels of mercury in your drinking water, the best thing to do is get it tested. You can find out what level of mercury is safe by calling a local lab or visiting their website. You may also be able to find out the chemicals causing this problem by contacting the EPA or state environmental agency for help with this issue!