Ammonium NH4 contamination in water: Current status and Solutions
Nowadays, with the rapid industrialization, a large number of factories growing day after day, the quality of water sources is really an alarming topic. In which ammonium contamination in groundwater in most provinces and cities in the country requires more attention and monitoring.
What is Ammonium and how does it affect human health?
The Ammonium cation (also known as azanium or ammonium) is a positively charged multipurpose ion with the chemical formula NH4+. It is formed by the diffusion of ammonia (NH3). In water, ammonium exists in two forms, NH3 and NH4+.
Ammonium in water is not toxic to the human body and they do not last long in the water. However, Ammonium is easily converted into Nitrite, Nitrate. In animals, nitrite and nitrate can be converted into N-nitroso, which is a precursor to cancer. Ammonium contaminated water is much more serious than Arsenic because ammonium is easily converted into toxic substances and difficult to handle.
The quality of water sources is really an alarming topic
When eating and drinking water containing nitrite, the body will absorb nitrite into the blood and this substance will compete for oxygen of red blood cells, making hemoglobin lose the ability to take oxygen, leading to anemia, pale skin. Therefore, nitrite is especially dangerous for children under 6 months of age, it can slow down growth, cause respiratory diseases, pale children, sick, anemia, shortness of breath due to lack of oxygen in blood. In adults, nitrites combine with amino acids in foods to form a family of nitrosamines, can cause genetic damage to cells - the cause of cancer.
Ammonium content in water is increasing day by day, in some places, this concentration exceeds the allowable standard of the Ministry of Health (0.3 mg/l). There are four main reasons for high ammonium levels in water, which are:
- Industrial emissions, factory exhaust, waste from hospitals, animal slaughterhouses, untreated wastes that have not reached a safe level have been released into the environment, causing surface water to be polluted extremely.
- Due to habits in production, using too many pesticides and chemical fertilizers
- A broken water pipe has a cracking problem that releases nitrogen in the mud, making the nitrogen content in the groundwater increasingly high
- When groundwater is strongly exploited but has not been filled, causing shortages, there will be funnels that absorb water on the surface water layers, the water from rivers, lakes, ponds containing a lot of solid dirt, will penetrate deep into the ground and make up for the shortage of groundwater.
The quality of the water used has a great influence on human health, so we need to regularly monitor the quality of the water source, and test the water immediately if we see any abnormal signs.
The quality of the water used has a great influence on human health
Control water quality with Eurofins Sac Ky Hai Dang services
Eurofins Sac Ky Hai Dang is proud to be a member of Eurofins Scientific Group, a leading scientific group in the world in the fields of food, feed, water, environmental and pharmaceutical testing.
We are currently providing all water quality monitoring services according to the standards of the Ministry of Health (QCVN 01:2018/BYT, QCVN 6 – 1:2010/BYT...), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (QCVN 08-MT:2015/BTNMT; QCVN 09-MT:2015/BTNMT…). Besides testing, Eurofins also provides an on-site sampling service to ensure the accuracy of analytical results to avoid errors during sampling.
Our systems of modern laboratories in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho province, ready to provide water quality testing services for businesses and households.
To send samples or find more information, please contact us at:
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