Dangers of Beryllium Contamination in Drinking Water

by

Benedict Carl Delgado

Among the many immensely important facets you must evaluate when searching for a camping water filter is whether it could actually effectually strip away heavily deadly and toxic compounds in your drinking water source. By way of example, will your drinking water filtration system take away beryllium?

Beryllium is another element that has been identified as a contaminant of drinking water. It is an inorganic element that exists in the form of a metal. Like antimony, it is very useful commercially in producing metal alloys like beryllium copper, industrial materials like spot-welding electrodes, windshield frames, brake discs, and support beams. It is also useful in the field of science as it has been utilized in X-ray machines and as a nuclear reactor. It has also been useful in the technology of developing aircrafts since it is used in making several parts of a space shuttle. However, like many other elements, beryllium is not all the way safe. It has its dangers, especially when not handled well and when it is present in your drinking water.

Beryllium naturally occurs in ground water when rocks and soils weather out. It can also come from industrial water waste. Either can cause contamination of beryllium in your drinking water. But, the latter poses much harm since the amount is not controlled anymore and the form of beryllium produced through it is already in waste or scrap form.

Among the industrial processes, coal and fuel combustion creates the most amount of beryllium contamination in water. What happens here is that the combustion releases beryllium into the air. Cities with many factories or combustion companies have high levels of beryllium in their atmospehere. Beryllium then stays in surfaces. When it rains, the beryllium is carried by the rain to the soil. The soil absorbs the element and seeps through the ground water.

Like the usual effects of water contaminants, the immediate part affected by the beryllium intoxication is the respiratory system. It targets the lungs, causing symptoms such as coughing and inflammation of the lungs which will lead to problems in breathing. It can also affect the kidneys and cause gastrointestinal ulcers. When there is kidney failure, subsequent failures of some bodily functions also occur. Waste or toxins from food cannot be regulated due to kidney malfunction. This would cause some problems in releasing the waste from your body, thus increasing the production of toxins in your system. Prolonged exposure to this element can cause many complications. One long-term illness includes cancer of the lungs or of the bones.

In the end, you should always evaluate the make of camping water filter that you plan to pay for. Ensure that it filters out and eradicates destructive compounds including beryllium from your water to drink.

Benedict Carl Delgado loves trekking, hiking, backpacking, camping, and anything that brings him outdoors. He maintains an informative site on

camping water filter

systems. Visit Benedict’s site to read more about how obtain clean and safe drinking water when camping or to buy a reliable and portable

camping water purifier

.

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Dangers of Beryllium Contamination in Drinking Water