Taylor Salt Test Dumped Back in Pool

SinkorSwim27

Gold Supporter
Nov 8, 2024
5
Florida
Hello, I am looking for informed opinions on the Taylor Salt test kit. I used one in my salt water pool and found my salt levels to be 3600ppm. I was happy to see this and just dumped the test water back into the pool by my skimmer. I now feel dumb because the resulting reaction would have generated Silver Chromate. The first reagent in the kit has Potassium Chromate which reacts with Silver Nitrate. I figured that 1 drop on the reagent should have 5mg or less of the Potassium Chromate (An educated guess based on the 10% by weight amount of the Potassium Chromate in 1 drop 0.05ml). My pool is just over 10,000 gallons and we swam in it immediately after I did this. My filter pump was running at 90% and I have 4 returns. I’m just curious what people think about possible excessive Chromium 6 levels after this test. By my math it should be below the threshold for drinking water. Am I correct or is there a concern that I exposed myself and family to this chemical at a higher concentration. If anyone knows the chemistry and chemicals better I would appreciate any opinion. I feel so dumb for pouring it back in. Thank you for any help.
 
Drinking water: The EPA's maximum contaminant level (MCL) for total chromium in drinking water is 100 micrograms per liter (µg/L) or 100 parts per billion (ppb).

The World Health Organization recommends a maximum allowable concentration of 0.05 mg/L (50 ppb) of chromium(VI) in drinking water.

90 mg/37854 kg = 2.4 ppb.
 

Drinking Water
EPA has an enforceable maximum contaminant level of total chromium in drinking water of 100 µg/L (100 ppb) for public water systems [EPA 1999h].


The current EPA maximum contaminant level for chromium in drinking water is 100 µg/L.
 
Drinking water: The EPA's maximum contaminant level (MCL) for total chromium in drinking water is 100 micrograms per liter (µg/L) or 100 parts per billion (ppb).

The World Health Organization recommends a maximum allowable concentration of 0.05 mg/L (50 ppb) of chromium(VI) in drinking water.

90 mg/37854 kg = 2.4 ppb.
Thank you for your quick response! I literally lost sleep over this. I washed out the filters just in case today. Just curious where you get the 90mg to calculate the ppb? I was working on my old chemistry knowledge and struggled to figure out how much 1 drop would have given me. Would the precipitates have been caught in the filter? In the future I will definitely be running this down the drain with sufficient water to dilute. Thank you for your help!!
 
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3,600 ppm is 18 drops at 5 mg each.

I was using your numbers, which seem about right.
I think I might even be better off since the 18 drops were the Silver Nitrate and the 1 drop was the Potassium Chromate. That would be even less. Now I will sleep well knowing I didn’t accidentally expose my family to something horrible! Thank you again for your time. It is greatly appreciated!!!
 
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K2CrO4 = 194.19 grams per mole.

CrO42- = 115.99 grams per mole.

Chromium = 52 grams per mole.

52/194 = 27%

The amount of chromate in one drop should be about 0.597 x 5 mg or about 3 mg per drop.

3 mg/37854 kg = 0.08 ppb.

The amount of chromium would be about 1.35 mg.

1.35 mg/37854 kg = 36 parts per trillion (0.036 ppb)
 
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Chromium, as trivalent (+3) chromium, is a trace element that is naturally present in many foods and available as a dietary supplement.

Chromium also exists as hexavalent (+6) chromium, a toxic by-product of stainless steel and other manufacturing processes

In California, the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for hexavalent chromium is 0.010 milligrams per liter (mg/L).

The hexavalent chromium MCL is 0.010 mg/L or 10 µg/L (10 ppb).

The chromium in chromate is hexavalent (+6).

1.35 mg/37854 kg = 0.036 ppb hexavalent chromium, which is 0.36% of the MCL.


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The 0.010-milligram per liter MCL for hexavalent chromium (also referred to as chromium-6), equivalent to 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L), became effective on July 1, 2014.

The regulations are included in Drinking Water Related Regulations, in the Drinking Water Law Book.

The public health goal (PHG) for Cr(VI) is 0.02 micrograms per liter (μg/L)

In July 2011 OEHHA established a PHG for chromium-6 of 0.02 μg/L.

1.35 mg/37854 kg = 0.036 μg/L.

 

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The easiest way to ensure no used reagents go back in the pool is to take the sample back inside and test in air conditioned comfort. Doing that way you’ll always have a sink closer then the pool and as a bonus the kit always stays inside, away from sunlight and extreme changes in temperature.
 
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