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Well WaterWhat are hydrogen sulfide and sulfate? Hydrogen sulfide is considered neither a primary nor a secondary contaminant in the Environmental Protection Agency’s current drinking water standards, but if the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in water is more than 0.5 parts per million (ppm), it will: Sulfate is listed as a…
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Well WaterMercury in Your Drinking Water Poses a Threat to Your Health The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set the current standard for mercury in drinking water at 2 parts per billion (ppb). The amount of mercury in public water systems is regulated according to EPA standards. If your water…
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Well WaterElevated levels of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) are two of the most common water quality problems in Georgia’s groundwater (Figure 1). These problems occur statewide in wells that access both shallow and deep groundwater sources. What Problems are Associated with High Iron and Manganese Levels? Adverse health effects are…
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Well WaterWhat are Corrosion and Scaling? Corrosiveness or scaling is an inherent property of some groundwater and is related to the type of rocks or sediments in contact with the groundwater. Corrosion is caused when water reacts with and dissolves metal plumbing. This can add toxic levels of metals like copper…
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Well WaterWhat are Hydrogen Sulfide and Sulfate? Hydrogen sulfide, or hydrosulfuric acid (H2S), is a gas that may occur in your household water. Common names include stink gas and sewer gas. Hydrogen sulfide is insoluble in water, but underground, this gas remains trapped within the water. When the water is pumped…
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Well WaterPesticides Modern pesticides include a diverse number of compounds, grouped according to the pest they control (such as their names imply): insecticides, miticides, nematicides, herbicides, fungicides, bactericides, to name a few. The first pesticides contained toxic metals such as arsenic, mercury, copper, and lead, but these were seldom used after…
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Well WaterPrivate well owners are responsible for the safety of their drinking water. Maintaining a healthy well requires routine testing for possible contaminants, including nitrate and nitrite. To assist in water safety, the EPA has set standards for nitrate levels in public drinking water systems. Although private well owners are not…
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Plant Pests and DiseasesAzalea bark scale (ABS, Eriococcus azalea, Figure 1) poses a serious threat to azaleas, rhododendron, and Pieris (Andromedas) in Georgia. ABS is a soft scale insect; unlike armored scale insects, the nymph and female soft scales secrete a protective coating of waxy crust on their body that cannot be separated…
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TurfgrassIntroduction The sugarcane beetle (Euetheola humilis, family: Scarabaeidae) has been a significant pest of many crops, including sugarcane, corn, sweet potato, and rice, for more than 100 years. It is a native species commonly found in turfgrass. While low numbers of beetles in an area generally are not regarded as…
