Dave Zale

I am putting together a website, based on the 20-year young community demonstration garden that I've been volunteering in, any feedback or suggestions would be earnestly appreciated:

https://xeriscape.neocities.org/

The other volunteers do a fine job with posting their photos to facebook, but I am not a member of that tribe.

Rich Rayburn wrote:Dave,
what type of equipment did you use to test for Trace contaminants?

GCMS.  Gas chromatography/Mass Spectrometry and a dozen other instruments.  If you go search for water quality reports from municipalities, you'll see long lists of monitored chemicals.  With the GCMS you can test for hundreds in about 20 minutes.

LCMS is required for the PFAs (the so called "forever chemicals").  Not cheap.

If you tell me the area where you live, I might be able to find a somewhat relevant water quality report from somewhere nearby.

I am in so Colorado and we have issues not widely known.  But that happens in many places.  Usually the govt does a good job of monitoring and informing but not always.  I've also done testing in several states.  After a few decades I have good clues about what one might be concerned with.

I tested water for trace contaminents for 15 years.  There is not a simple answer.

You must look at the local geology, first of all.  

The local geology will inform you about potential natural hazards, like arsenic or radioactivity.

Secondly you need to look at being downstream of urban or military base runoff.  PFAs are ubiquitous these days due to many uses.  Not much is known about very clear health hazards but they are now being regulated at parts per trillion levels.

Microbiological hazards and agricultural runoff hazards are also sometimes important.

You can find State databases or call your Extension.  


Sorry it's not simpler than that.

"Maple syrup sand," also known as "niter," is a natural sediment composed of minerals (primarily calcium and magnesium) that precipitates out of maple sap as it's concentrated and boiled, appearing as cloudiness or gritty sediment in the syrup.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Formation:
As maple sap is boiled down to create syrup, the water evaporates, and the minerals in the sap become more concentrated.
Appearance:
This concentrated mineral buildup appears as a gritty sediment or cloudiness in the syrup, often settling at the bottom of containers.
Safety:
Sugar sand is perfectly safe to eat and is not a sign of spoilage.
Removal:
While not harmful, sugar sand can be removed through filtering, allowing for clearer syrup.
Factors affecting formation:
The amount of sugar sand can vary based on the minerals present in the sap, which can differ geographically and from year to year.
Impact on syrup:
Too much sugar sand can cause pan overheating and off flavors in the syrup.
Removal methods:
Sugar sand can be removed by filtering syrup, letting it sit so the sand settles, or by cleaning evaporator pans.