Bromide is a naturally occurring compound that can react with water treatment to form dangerous disinfect byproducts. In this article we’ll cover what Bromide is, how it gets into your drinking water, what levels are dangerous, and how to test for it.

 

Bromide in Drinking Water at a Glance:

Health Effects: Bromide itself has relatively low toxicity at levels commonly found in the environment, but can react with water treatment to form dangerous disinfectant byproducts.

MCL: No federal MCL for bromide.

Test: Safe Home Premium Drinking Water Test Kit

Treatment: Reverse Osmosis (RO)

 

What is Bromide?

Bromide is a compound that occurs naturally in the environment and can be found in seawater, brines, groundwater, and other natural water sources.

Bromide itself is different from bromine and bromate. Bromide is generally stable in water, but it can react with disinfectants used during drinking water treatment.

 

How does Bromide get into my Drinking Water?

Bromide can enter drinking water naturally through groundwater and surface water sources. It is particularly common in areas influenced by saltwater, brines, or other naturally salty water sources.

There are also man-made sources of Bromide associated with mining operations and coal.

 

Negative Effects of Bromide in Drinking Water

Bromide is typically not viewed as a health concern when by itself in drinking water at low levels. The EPA does not regulate bromide as a primary standard. At very high levels bromide can cause neurological damage but this is not at levels naturally found in drinking water.

The main concern for bromide is that it can react with water treatments to create brominated disinfection byproducts. Some ozone based treatments can create compounds such as bromate and brominated organic disinfection byproducts. Many of these compounds are known to have long term health effects.

 

What level of Bromide in Drinking Water is Dangerous?

The EPA does not currently have a federal Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for bromide itself. Because of this, there is not an EPA drinking-water limit that can be used to determine whether a bromide results are above or below the standard.

Because bromide can contribute to the formation of disinfection byproducts, a higher bromide result may be important to consider alongside your water source, treatment process, and other water quality results.

If you have high levels of bromide, it may be worth testing for VOCs and disinfectant byproducts to ensure it is not reacting with the treatment process.

 

How to Test for Bromide in Drinking Water

To test for bromide, we recommend using the Safe Home Premium Drinking Water Test Kit. This kit allows you to collect a water sample at home and have it analyzed at our EPA-Certified Lab.

The Premium Drinking Water Test Kit tests for bromide along with other important drinking water parameters.

 

What to do if your Bromide Levels are too High

If bromide levels are elevated in your water, the best treatment option will depend on the source of the bromide and the other characteristics of your water.

Reverse osmosis (RO) is one of the most effective technologies available for removing bromide from water.

If your water contains elevated bromide, it can also be useful to test for related disinfection byproducts, especially if your water is treated with ozone or another oxidizing process. A filtration professional should be able to reference your laboratory report to recommend an appropriate system.