test index

Water contaminants

Water can contain different substances of natural, agricultural, industrial, domestic origin or linked to treatment and disinfection processes. Some of these substances are regulated in water intended for human consumption. Others are subject to special monitoring or scientific research because of their potential effects on health and the environment.

This encyclopedia allows you to consult fact sheets devoted to the main contaminants likely to be present in water resources, groundwater, surface water or distribution networks. Each contaminant gradually has a dedicated page.

The sheets present in particular the origin of the substance, its possible industrial, agricultural, medical or domestic use, the routes by which it can reach water, its documented effects on health or the environment as well as the available regulatory values.

The information is based primarily on publications and bases from recognized scientific, health and administrative organizations, including ANSES, INERIS, BRGM, ECHA, European Commission, World Health Organization, EPA, CDC, ATSDR, NIH and PubChem.

No commercial blogs, affiliate sites, filtration system manufacturers, or promotional content are used as primary scientific sources.

A documentary base in development: the files are added gradually. When a contaminant is clearly shown in an Imperial GF or Imperial AMB filter test report, the relevant sheet may present the results measured by Envirotek Laboratories. These performance tests should not be confused with NSF certification of the filter.

Explore contaminants by category

Metals and trace elements

Arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, aluminum, copper, manganese, nickel, selenium and zinc.

See metals and trace elements

Volatile organic compounds

Solvents, fuels and industrial compounds likely to contaminate soils, groundwater and water networks.

See volatile organic compounds

Disinfection by-products

Compounds likely to form when certain disinfectants react with organic matter present in water.

View disinfection byproducts

Pharmaceutical residues

Drugs and associated molecules that can reach wastewater, then certain water resources in trace amounts.

See pharmaceutical residues

Aromatic hydrocarbons

Compounds resulting in particular from combustion, fuels, tar or certain industrial activities.

See aromatic hydrocarbons

Endocrine disruptors

Substances likely to interfere with the functioning of the hormonal system depending on their properties and the level of exposure.

See endocrine disruptors

Nitrogen compounds

Nitrates and nitrites originating in particular from soils, fertilizers, agricultural effluents and the degradation of organic matter.

See nitrogen compounds

Alphabetical index of contaminants

How are contaminant sheets written?

Each sheet is designed as an independent documentary resource. Its content is adapted to the information actually available for the substance concerned.

A sheet may in particular present:

  • the common name and main synonyms of the substance;
  • its chemical name and CAS number;
  • its chemical family;
  • its natural origin or linked to human activities;
  • its agricultural, industrial, medical or domestic uses;
  • possible routes of water contamination;
  • its behavior in soils, water tables and watercourses;
  • the documented health effects and the level of evidence available;
  • known effects on the environment and aquatic organisms;
  • French, European or international regulatory values;
  • the main treatment methods described in the scientific literature;
  • links to public organizations and scientific bases consulted;
  • filtration results when an accurate test report is available for the contaminant in question.

How to interpret filtration performance?

The reduction of a contaminant cannot be deduced solely from its chemical family or the general composition of a filter. Results may vary depending on initial concentration, chemical form of substance, pH, temperature, flow rate, contact time, water quality and testing protocol used.

A sheet will therefore only present Monderma performance when the substance has been clearly identified in a corresponding test report. The indicated result must reflect the conditions and limits of the test, without extrapolation to other contaminants.

Scientific and administrative sources

The sources used are selected as a priority among public organizations, health agencies, international institutions and recognized scientific bases.

  • National Health Security Agency – ANSES;
  • National Institute of the Industrial Environment and Risks – INERIS;
  • Geological and Mining Research Bureau – BRGM;
  • Ministry of Health;
  • European Commission;
  • European Chemicals Agency – ECHA;
  • European Environment Agency – EEA;
  • World Health Organization – WHO;
  • Environmental Protection Agency – EPA;
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC;
  • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry – ATSDR;
  • National Institutes of Health – NIH;
  • PubChem and scientific publications indexed in PubMed.

Commercial blogs, comparison sites, affiliate sites and content published by filtration system sellers are not used as primary scientific references.

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Health information: The contents of this encyclopedia are intended to be informative. They do not replace the results of an analysis carried out by a laboratory, the information communicated by the competent health authorities or the opinion of a health professional. The actual presence of a contaminant in water can only be determined by means of a suitable analysis.