WaterFilter.com

Whats In My Water?

Threats to our drinking water are increasing due to our aging water system infrastructure and increased pollutants invading our water sources. Because the source of our drinking water varies, the treatment it receives before coming to our tap also varies. For these reasons, we can no longer take the safety of our drinking water for granted.

Some of the more common natural sources of pollution include:

microorganisms; underlying rock; nitrates and nitrites; heavy metals found in underground rock that contains arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and selenium; and fluoride. Human Activities causing pollution include: bacteria and nitrates from human and animal wastes, septic tanks and large farms; heavy metals from mining construction, and older fruit orchards; fertilizers and pesticides; industrial products and wastes from local factories, industrial plants, gas stations, dry cleaners, leaking underground storage tanks, landfills and waste dumps; household wastes such as cleaning solvents, used motor oil, paint, paint thinner, pharmaceuticals (discarded medications flushed down the toilet); lead and copper; hormones passed into the system through waste.

Most of us are familiar with problems caused by ecoli in the water or problems caused by lead poisoning, but not much is heard about problems from hormones or medications that make their way back into our drinking water. In truth, little is known about the long term effects of pharmaceutical contamination.

Hormones fed through the system can create a variety of problems. A study done in the UK found that high concentrations of female hormones (from women using contraceptive pills) were changing the sex of approximately half of all male fish and possibly affected male fertility. Other studies have shown antidepressants can trigger premature spawning in shellfish while drugs designed to treat heart ailments block the ability of fish to repair damaged fins.

If a water supplier determines that drinking water has been contaminated, they are required to inform their customers of any violations within 24 hours. It should be noted that in 2001, one out of every four community water systems did not conduct testing or report the results of testing which could lead to problems that are undetected.

The EPA uses a generalized standard for measuring contamination of our water which can put some groups in jeopardy. Children and infants, the frail and elderly, and pregnant women and their unborn babies can face a greater risk to infection. Others who are undergoing chemotherapy, living with HIV/AIDS, and transplant patients also faced an increased risk.

One contaminate that concerns me the most is nitrate. Nitrate is generally found in fertilizer and puts infants at immediate risk when it exceeds the national standard levels. An excess of nitrate in an infants system can cause "blue baby syndrome" which can be fatal without immediate medical attention. It has been recommended that infants, young children, nursing mothers, pregnant women and certain elderly people use extreme caution.

Families using well water as their primary water source are not subject to regulation by the EPA and therefore face a considerably greater risk. Although a water filtration system can be helpful, many serious problems can only be found by testing and go unnoticed.

What can you do about it? Using a home water filtration system can help, but you will need to do your homework. There are many different types of filtration systems available and each has it's advantages and disadvantages. In June of 1998, CNN published an article referencing a study done by The Center for Environmental Health which used 16 different brands of water filtration systems which showed that six brands produced water that exceeded the limit for lead, with two (one made by Franke Inc. of Pennsylvania and Omni Corporation of Indiana) generated water with readings substantially higher than the limit.

If you are considering purchasing a home filtration system reference on Consumers Guide (http://www.consumersearch.com/www/kitchen/water_filters/reviews.html) before going to the store. Families using well water should read "Alternative Considerations" Consumer Guide (http://www.consumersearch.com/www/kitchen/water_filters/fullstory.html). A general reference for qualities to look for can be found at World Wise(http://www.worldwise.com/watpur.html).

The same holds true for buying water. FDA's rules completely exempt waters that are packaged and sold within the same state The FDA also exempts carbonated water and seltzer, and fewer than half of the states require carbonated waters to meet their own bottled water standards. The NRDC tested 103 brands of bottled water and the results can be viewed at SUMMARY OF NRDCs TEST RESULTS (http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/appa.asp)

Anyone concerned about the quality of their drinking water can take call their state drinking water program or the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800 426-4791) for a list of state certified labs, or purchasing filters certified by NSF International (800 NSF-MARK) to remove the contaminants of special concern to the consumer (NSF certification is not, however, a complete guarantee of safety).

*********************

(c)2004 Karen Zastudil

Sources: Water Magazine - Contaminants in Water, EPA book "Water On Tap", Water Conditioning and Purification Magazine June 2003: Volume 34, Number 6, Friends of the Earth O'Magazine., NRDC

Karen is a graduate of of Cleveland State University and is a freelance writer. Visit her website at http://www.womenatthesummit.com - A site of general interest to women. Topics include: Pregnancy, Children, Parenting, Health and wellness, Diet and Fitness, Relationships, Money, Travel and more.

MORE ARTICLES:

Cold Water Comments - What They Are and How to Manage Them!
Cold Water Comments - What They Are and How to Manage Them! Cold Water Comments are those comments, phrases and ideas that are meant to discourage, disparage, discredit and generally douse your ideas!  There are several things you can do to keep those comments in someone's bucket or warm them up once they've been tossed. Planning for the Cold Water - With Towels in Each Hand! Step 1 - Identify the Possible Cold WaterMake a list of all the comments you have heard in the past and might expect to hear now.

Cleaning a Coffee Maker the Right Way
Cleaning a coffee maker isn't a "maybe" task, but rather an absolute must To get great tasting coffee, you should clean your machine on a regular basis

4th Coffee Cup Exhibition Highlights Older Americans Month and Helps 10,000 Philadelphia Senior Citizens
The Philadelphia Senior Center (PSC) celebrates "Older Americans Month" with the "4th Annual Coffee Cup Exhibition and Reception," on Wednesday, May 23, 2007, from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., at the Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, at 719 Catharine Street, Philadelphia, PA. The benefit will feature original art by local and national artists, hors' d'oeuvres, spirits, live entertainment and a silent auction.

Clean Up Windows Registry without Downloading Anything
What's the fuzz about Windows registry cleaners? They are everywhere, claiming to clean up your PC and make Windows run faster. Are these claims sustained? In order to answer that question, a bit of theory is necessary to better understand what's going on when a registry cleaner application applies all sorts of optimizations.

Arabica Or Robusta? Your Guide To Coffee Beans
If you are buying coffee beans for your business and not sure what you should be looking for, read on- this guide will help you to understand the differences between the basic types of coffee, and bust the coffee jargon, so you can decide which variety is right for you.

Treatment Processes For Sewage Water
When you hear the word sewage, you think of the nasty and contaminated water that would not even be considered safe or clean for humans to drink or to use for anything. If the sewage water is not cleaned before it is gotten rid of, the environment could suffer from it. These are the reasons for sewage water treatment processes in the sewage systems.

Staying Healthy While Traveling
Your good health is paramount while traveling and taking simple precautions can drastically reduce your chances of falling ill.Health InsuranceAn insurance package that covers your health, possessions and cancellations is imperative.

Wee Generation Project Grows as Rickshaw Bagworks Joins To Design, Manufacture Eco-Chic Baby Bag: Seventh Generation, Healthy Child Healthy World
The all-star green team of "Wee Generation," founded by Seventh Generation, Healthy Child Healthy World and babystyle(R), announced today that Rickshaw Bagworks will be the designer and manufacturer of the world's first Cradle To Cradle baby bag, a central project of the collaborative. Specializing in stylish, functional bags that stand up to the active lifestyles of bicyclists and urban commuters, the San Francisco-based company is the ideal bag maker for the most on-the-go people on earth -- parents.

Healthy LifeStyle Presents Losing Weight and How
Popular weight-loss methods such as diet pills, over the counter or prescription, special foods or combination foods and very low calorie diets are not healthy weight loss programs and will not last or promote behavior changes.

Rayne Water Conditioning and Kern's Water Treatment Featured in "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
Rayne Water Conditioning and one of Rayne's independent dealers, Kern's Water Treatment, has teamed with "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to provide the Woodhouse family with the highest-quality water softener and reverse osmosis drinking water systems for 10-year-old Kayla Woodhouse's safety.

Power Partners Goes Solar; Georgia Manufacturing Company Begins Manufacturing Lightweight Solar Water Heaters for Professional Installers and Do-It-Yo
Power Partners announced today it has diversified its product portfolio and begun manufacturing a lightweight, roof-mounted solar water heater whose design enables easy installation by professional installers and do-it-yourselfers. The solar water heaters, whose design will be featured Oct. 28 on ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition program, are being marketed under the Power Partners Solar name.

How To Run Your Car On Water
A highly debated topic right now is the exceptionally high gas prices that a lot people are experiencing throughout many parts of the world and also with rising oil costs it doesn?t look to be going down With the thought of paying such high gas prices for years to come, people have started developing newer more efficient vehicles that can run of things such as hydrogen and ethanol

Vinyl Replacement Window Terminology
With so many homeowners in the market for more energy efficient windows and doors for their home, I thought I would use this week's article to cover the more common terms used to describe a window's ability to insulate your home from the elements. There is an organization called The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC).

Benefits of Infrared Sauna - Discover a Healthy Way To Relax
The Infrared Sauna is not only good for relaxation, but has many health benefits that promote positive changes in our bodies. In today's fast paced world, our bodies undergo alot of stress that can indirectly affect important internal functions. When our bodies are undergoing an elevated level of stress, the immune system can be compromised, allowing unwanted toxins and chemicals to interfere with vital internal tasks.