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Water Science

Understanding Water Contaminants

Not all contaminants are created equal. This visualization maps what you should actually worry about based on how common they are and how harmful they can be.

24 contaminants mapped
EPA limits included
Critical
Monitor
Context
Noise
HIGH IMPACTLOW IMPACTRARECOMMONCRITICALMONITORCONTEXTNOISE

Critical

4

Common AND dangerous. Active concern.

Monitor

6

Rare but serious when present. Worth testing for.

+2 more

Context

8

Shows up often but generally harmless. Don't panic.

+4 more

Noise

5

Rare and low-impact. Usually can ignore.

+1 more

How to Read This Matrix

X-Axis: Detection Frequency

How commonly this contaminant is found in water supplies. Based on EPA sampling data and municipal water reports. Higher = more common.

Y-Axis: Health Impact

Severity of health effects from chronic exposure. Based on EPA health advisories, WHO guidelines, and peer-reviewed toxicology research. Higher = more dangerous.

Key Insights

Detected ≠ Dangerous

Minerals like calcium and magnesium show up in almost every water sample, but they're beneficial. Don't let "detected" scare you.

Rare ≠ Safe to Ignore

Mercury and vinyl chloride are rarely detected, but when present they're extremely harmful. Source matters more than statistics.

Context is Everything

The same substance at different concentrations can be harmless, beneficial, or toxic. Always check the actual measured value against limits.

See Real Test Results

View how Hallstein Water performs against all these contaminants with actual lab-verified data.

View Hallstein COA
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