Magnesium in the water - effect on washing

DBP · Jul 2, 2006

The tap water here has been slightly yellow since last night. The water company says this is due to high levels of magnesium resulting from the recent floods. Does anyone know if I can wash prints in this and what adjustments to make?

Photo Engineer · Jul 2, 2006

Magnesium salts are colorless!

The yellow color is either mud, bacteria or iron salts. (several other things come to mind but you don't want to know....)

The iron salts are the most harmful to processed film.

Use distilled water until the color goes away or put in a carbon and paper filter system.

PE

Alex Hawley · Jul 2, 2006

I agree with PE. Its most likely mud if your area has had recent flooding. Can you wait a few days until the water clears up?

DBP · Jul 2, 2006

Thanks. I guess I'll skip printing tonight.

gainer · Jul 4, 2006

I agree. There's something in it besides magnesium. My well water has lots of calcium and magnesium in it. I had it professionally tested a while back. It is perfectly clear without taste or aroma, good for the heart, not so good for use with soap, and as long as it doesn't leave a deposit it's OK for prints, but better if the last wash is in demineralized water. Rain water or water from my dehumidifier works well around here.

Gerald Koch · Jul 5, 2006

The only common metal found in well water that could cause problems with prints is iron which could leave a yellow or brown stain. Others like magnesium and calcium are colorless and should cause no problem. Water treatment systems will remove iron and should be considered if the problem persists.

DBP · Jul 5, 2006

This is city water, which is not from a well, but ultimately drawn from the Potomac and its tributaries.

DBP · Jul 5, 2006

gainer said:
I agree. There's something in it besides magnesium. My well water has lots of calcium and magnesium in it. I had it professionally tested a while back. It is perfectly clear without taste or aroma, good for the heart, not so good for use with soap, and as long as it doesn't leave a deposit it's OK for prints, but better if the last wash is in demineralized water. Rain water or water from my dehumidifier works well around here.

Thanks for the dehumdifier tip, I used that and filtered water to wash some urgent prints yesterday.

Gerald Koch · Jul 5, 2006

DBP said:
This is city water...drawn from the Potomac.

You have my sincere sympathy. ;-)

Seriously, there are water treatment cartridges that can be put on a single line to remove sediment or minerals from the water.

Jerry Thirsty · Jul 5, 2006

Are you sure you didn't confuse magnesium and manganese? We've had several wells in our area recently test positive for elevated manganese and the water utility has warned that it can give the water a brown tinge and stain clothes, etc.

DBP · Jul 5, 2006

I didn't confuse the two, but I would not be shocked if the person who forwarded the word from the water company did. Does anyone know what effect manganese would have?

Photo Engineer · Jul 5, 2006

DBP said:
I didn't confuse the two, but I would not be shocked if the person who forwarded the word from the water company did. Does anyone know what effect manganese would have?

Manganese is an unusual contaminant. Some of its salts are reddish in color (IIRC), and they don't do the human body any good. I would have to do some searching, as I don't usually need info on Manganese. It is not a 'normal' salt.

On film, the Manganese salts would be like Magnesium and Calcium salts leaving a scum on the film.

PE

DBP · Jul 5, 2006

Really appreciate the help. I checked the water company web site and confirmed it is manganese, not magnesium. Here's the explanation, such as it is:

Virginia American Water customers located in the City of Alexandria may experience discolored water from high levels of manganese, which are a result of the region's excessive rainfall. The water is safe to consume and the expected resolution of this condition is expected within the next two to three days.

Manganese is a naturally occurring element and is not harmful to your health at the levels detected in water. These elevated levels of Manganese may cause the water to become somewhat yellow, or brown, in color. The water is being treated to lower the Manganese levels, resulting in reduction of discoloration. The completion of this treatment process will take several days. In the meantime, the water may still appear discolored as the water passes through the distribution system.

Unfortunately, the continued rain is keeping me from my other hobby, which makes it a perfect time to get caught up on printing, if only the water were clean.

Photo Engineer · Jul 5, 2006

Manganese is listed as toxic in the Merck index.

See NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (DHHS/NIOSH 90-117, 1990) p138.

It forms a particularly toxic salt with fluoride ion (in fluoridated waters) which is pinkish, and it forms a pinkl oxide which is also toxic. Etc.

I would drink bottled water for a while. It seems as if the text suggests if you can see the pink color, there is too much present to be really safe.

Some salts are not soluable enough in water to be toxic. But, I wouldn't want to take a chance.

PE

DBP · Jul 5, 2006

Got it, thanks. No more watering the whiskey for a few days. I trust the filter on the line to the icemaker will keep it out of there.

Photo Engineer · Jul 5, 2006

DBP said:
Got it, thanks. No more watering the whiskey for a few days. I trust the filter on the line to the icemaker will keep it out of there.

If it is a soluable salt, a paper filter will not remove it.

Some materials are removed by carbon filters. I'm not sure if these are removed by the carbon filters.

An ion exchange resin will remove these contaminants if backed up by a paper filter and a carbon filter.

PE

Jerry Thirsty · Jul 5, 2006

Here's some info that's been put out on our area:

http://www.madisonwater.org/pdf/manganese FAQ_FINAL.pdf

Basically, the at-risk groups are children under 6 months and people with liver problems. There's also a short paragraph near the end about filtering.

DBP · Jul 5, 2006

Thank you again, that's quite helpful.

Magnesium in the water - effect on washing

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