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Water Quality: Better? or Worse

March 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Suspected carcinogens in your tap water? It’s scary but true for many communities across the United States.

The Environmental Working Group’s 2013 Tap Water Report revealed that 201 water systems that serve 100 million Americans in 43 states are polluted with toxic chemicals created by the reaction of chlorine and rotting organic matter such as leaves, insects, farm and yard runoff and sewage. Just last week, we released our new Water Filter Buying Guide to help you remove these and other chemicals that may be hazardous to your health.

We know the government is dropping the ball when it comes to keeping toxic chemicals out of your tap water.

Filed Under: Chlorination, Environment, Toxins, Water filtration

Cryptosporidium Found

January 15, 2012 by 1 Comment

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM

PORTLAND, Ore. — A test last week of the drinking water reservoir in Portland, Ore. found that the parasite, cryptosporidium, found over a year ago was still prevalent in the water, according to KATU News.

This happened just before the state was scheduled to decide whether to give a waiver on building a $90 million water treatment plant, stated the article.

“It would just be irrational for anyone to think in an area as large as the Bull Run there aren’t critters that poop in the woods and after a heavy rain you wouldn’t find some residue of that,” said City Commissioner Randy Leonard.

Yup. And equally irrational to do nothing about a true killer cyst if you were capable. ‘Crypto isn’t so hard to get rid of with a good water filter.

Filed Under: Chlorination, Water filtration Tagged With:

Swimming daily? Be aware. Ask your pool man.

December 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A study conducted by University of Illinois researchers found that swimming pool disinfectants have the potential to cause genetic damage to mammalian cells, posing a risk to frequent swimmers, Biotechdaily.comreported.
The researchers used a mammalian cell genotoxicity-analysis technique to compare samples of swimming pool water to tap water, the article stated.
They found that disinfectants in pool water interact with disinfection byproduct (DBP) precursors that include natural organic substances in addition to inputs from bathers through urine, sweat, hair, skin and consumer products including cosmetics and sunscreens.
All of the disinfected pool water samples were found to induce more genomic DNA damage than the source tap water, according to the story.
“Care should be taken in selecting disinfectants to treat recreational pool water,” said senior author Dr. Michael Plewa, professor of genetics at the University of Illinois. “The data suggest that brominating agents should be avoided as disinfectants of recreational pool water. The best method to treat pool waters is a combination of UV treatment with chlorine as compared to chlorination alone.”
Ian: And what else do the majority of us expose daily to chlorine, chloramines and pharmaceuticals? Our intestine. Hmm.. and what about our daily shower?
Filed Under: Chlorination

Is Chlorine Cancerous? And Should You Shower In It?

December 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

We’ve been watching the debate about fluoride so long now that we’ve forgotten the chlorine debate.

Chlorine is a carcinogen, but we don’t know at what level of addition to a water supply it becomes carcinogenic. This very recent study summary puts it well:

“The author concludes that the uncertainties surrounding possible health risks from chlorination DBPs appear not to be appreciated by many of those involved in drinking water regulation, production or research.”

Doesn’t really inspire confidence, does it?

We have seen several instances in recent years where drought conditions in capital cities has caused a concentration of parasites in the reservoir, prompting water engineers to drastically increase chlorine dosage. Where you are really affected is in the shower.
On the same note, I read last week of a school swimming carnival in the UK where management forgot to turn on the ventilation. The combination of chlorine with urine and sweat created clouds of chloramine gas which had the young competitors reeling. Of course w ehave nothing to fear, I guess.. unless we pee in the shower…

Chlorine is a gas, and is released in the shower cubicle in far greater volume than in drinking or rinsing water. That’s why so many health professionals are still trying to tell people to install a chlorine shower filter.

We’ve had one installed for years and whenever we travel we are amazed at the chlorine we smell – and breathe in – as we shower. What it even more amazing is the fact that before we had our trusty Sprite filter, we thought it was OK to get gassed every morning.

Take a look at the Sprite

Filed Under: cancer, Chlorination

Chemicals in Drinking Water

December 27, 2011 by 1 Comment

Chemicals in drinking waterWhile I was at the Environmental working Group’s website I just happened to stumble on this doozie of a summary of chemicals found in domestic water supplies.
Here it is;
Chemicals found in Drinking Water:
Organochlorine Pesticides (OCs), Metals, Lead compounds, Arsenic compounds,Cadmium compounds, Phthalates,Volatile and semivolatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs),Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), Perfluorochemicals (PFCs), Chromium compounds, Bisphenol A & BADGE, Mercury compounds, Substituted benzenes, Phenols,Perchlorate, Inorganic salts, Miscellaneous pesticides, Haloacetic acids, Halogenated benzenes, Short halogenated compounds,Alkanes,Petroleum distillates and process streams, Cresols, Unidentified or misc. family, Ethers, Nitrosamines,Brominated Fire Retardants,Trihalomethanes (THMs), Chlorinated dioxins & furans,Organophosphate Pesticides (OPs), Inorganic compounds, Zinc compounds, Amphibole-group minerals, Vanadium compounds,Titanium compounds, Thallium compounds, Molybdenum compounds, Lithium compounds, Cobalt compounds,Beryllium compounds, Antimony compounds, Sodium compounds, Strontium compounds, Silver compounds,Selenium compounds, Potassium compounds, Nitrate compounds, Nickel compounds, Manganese compounds,Magnesium compounds, Inorganic ions, Fluoride compounds, Copper compounds, Barium compounds,Aluminium compounds, Noble gas, Radioactive particles, Uranium compounds,Iron compounds, Calcium compounds, Ionizing radiation

I just love that one right in the middle of the list; “Unidentified or Misc family”.

Filed Under: Chlorination Tagged With: ,

Italian chlorinated water cancer link

December 27, 2011 by 1 Comment

From this Italian study, we learn a possible link between chlorinated water and bladder cancer.

“There were 249 (45%) patients who only drank bottled water, 177 (32%) who drank municipal water, 38 (7%) who drank artesian well water, 7 (1%) who drank spring water and 89 (16%) with a mixed water source. A chlorinated water supply was more frequent in never smokers than in smokers (p=0.015). T1 tumours (cancer that has begin to grow into the connective tissue beneath the bladder lining) occurred statistically more frequently (p=0.02) in patients drinking chlorinated municipal water than Ta tumours (cancer just in the innermost layer of the bladder lining), suggesting a possible role of disinfection by-products in promoting bladder cancer aggressiveness. Therefore patients drinking chlorinated water for a long period should also be considered at higher risk. The activity/effect of water pollution is possibly weaker than that of cigarette smoking and not easily detected in smokers due to a masking effect caused by the stronger factor.”

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