People have been alarmed by prevailing contaminants that pollute our water systems. There are a lot of contaminants present that poses certain risks to a person's health. One of the contaminants that have been given attention now is Chromium 6.
It has been found that Chromium 6 is starting to contaminate our water at an alarming rate. Not to mention that this particular contaminant can be harmful when consumed over a period of time.
Studies and researches have been made to try and explain the nature of Chromium 6 and what it does to our water, most importantly, a person's health.
Nonetheless, it is of utmost importance to spread knowledge and awareness to the community on how to deal with such a contaminant. If it is contaminating our waters and harming our health, we would want to know how to remove it from our drinking water.
There is a choice whether just to ignore the fact that your water might be contaminated with Chromium 6 and just go about on your daily activities, or you could try to at least educate yourself with the potential health risks this contaminant might cost you one day.
Yes, you may not be seeing or experiencing any health problems as of the moment and might just think that everything is okay. However, it is best advised to stay alert and aware of the consequences it may bring.
Everyone deserves the right to have access to safe and drinkable water, and no one should be deprived of that right. It is just proper to add that everyone also deserves the right to be informed.
What is Chromium 6?
Chromium 6 is an element belonging in the periodic table that is classified under metallic element chromium. Another term known for calling Chromium 6 is the Hexavalent Chromium.
Chromium 6 does not carry any distinct smell or taste. In addition, it naturally evolves in different kinds of rocks, soils, ores, volcanic dust, and even in plants, animals, and humans too.
There are numerous kinds of Chromium that were recognized. But, the most identifiable forms of Chromium in the society are the trivalent Chromium (chromium-3), hexavalent Chromium (chromium-6), and the metal form of Chromium (chromium-0).
Although the numerous forms of Chromium that are prevalent, what will be tackling about is the Chromium 6 in specific. For the reason that it is the particular chemical compound that threatens the quality and safeness of our water. Especially for the purposes of consumption.
Typically, Chromium 6 is produced through different industrial processes. Commonly, the Chromium 6 is used for manufacturing chrome plates, an essential component in making stainless steel plays an important role in wood preservation, leather tanning, and textile dyes and pigments. It is also proven that Chromium 6 is a great compound for anti-corrosion usages and also conversion coatings.
How to Remove Chromium 6 in Drinking Water
It can be a difficult task to remove Chromium 6 in your water source completely. Unlike lead, which can be removed through flushing the pipes, since lead leaches into the water pipes, Chromium 6 is different.
Flushing your water pipes would not do any result in trying to remove or reduce Chromium 6 in water. Due to the reason that chromium 6 is mixed from the water source itself.
A few of the methods to efficiently remove Chromium 6 in your water is through reverse osmosis and through using a high-end water filtration system.
Things to do to protect the Family
One of the simplest yet most effective ways of dealing with high levels of Chromium in the drinking water is through the installation of the water filter.
On the other hand, many people turn to bottled water as a temporary solution. But this method must be approached with caution. Bottled water companies, although follows the same standard as the public water utilities, are not required to announce their findings in public.
As such, bottled water can possibly contain chemical contaminants that exceed the levels allowed by the state. Also, it is not tested often for biological contaminants. Finally, the use of bottled water is harmful to the environment due to plastic bottles.
For affordable protection, you can have the countertop filter or the pitcher filter. Indeed, these units are affordable than reverse osmosis. But make sure to do your research and check those products that can remove the Chromium 6.
What is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis is a method used to treat water to remove harmful contaminants from water by applying pressure to the water that would force water molecules to pass through a semipermeable membrane.
The semipermeable membrane is composed of microscopic pores that prevent contaminants from passing through. During that process, the contaminants are now filtered out, leaving you with contaminant-free water.
When the contaminants are now separated from the water source, they are then drained out from the reverse osmosis water system.
Permeate, or product is the term used when the water successfully made it through the membrane. Usually, the permeate or product has contaminants removed by up to 95% to 99%.
There are a variety of reverse osmosis systems that are now made available in the market. However, such systems do not promise the same level of contaminant removal as opposed to higher ends of water filtration products.
It has been proven that although reverse osmosis can indeed remove contaminants, there are still more effective filtration devices that assure you of a higher contaminant removal rate. One of the examples for water filtration systems is the Berkey Water Filtration Systems.
What is the Berkey Water Filtration Systems?
The Berkey Water Filtration Systems has been the most talked-about water system product globally.
They have set the standards high, worldwide, when it comes to ensuring safe and healthy drinking water. It has already been tested and proven that the Berkey Water Filtration System can reduce 99.99% of all potentially harmful water contaminants and pollutants.
Not to mention that the Berkey Water Filtration System can also significantly reduce fluoride, arsenic, and even food coloring that was mixed in your waters. On top of that, it still manages to leave all the necessary and essential nutrients that the body needs for a day to day encounter.
The Berkey Water Filtration Systems are designed with a well-constructed, highly polished 304 stainless steel. Not only that, but it also comes with a complete package essential kit containing 2 Black Berkey elements (expandable to 4), 2 chambers, lid, a spigot, rubber gasket base, and 2 blocking plugs.
In addition, the Berkey systems can significantly reduce fluoride and arsenic through its PF-2 Fluoride and Arsenic filters that can be installed into the lower chamber. To top it all off, the Berkey systems are also capable of removing food coloring that was mixed with the water.
The Black Berkey Elements are the heart of the Berkey Water Filtration System. It is the one that is responsible for doing all the filtration work, and it is found to be very effective and reliable when you want to provide your household with safe and drinkable water.
Here are some of our products in the Berkey Water Filter that can help you eliminate the Chromium 6 in the water:
Crown Berkey Water Filter-6 Gallons
One of our products is the Crown Berkey Water Filter. According to the lab test results, it can remove up to 99.85% of Chromium 6 in the water. As such, one is assured that he can have clean water for the whole family.
The Crown Berkey Water Filter can produce up to 6.5 gallons of water per hour under regular use conditions. Six to twelve people can use the product in regular everyday use. During emergencies, it can accommodate up to 300 to 625 people each day.
Moreover, the Crown Berkey comes with two Black Berkey Elements. However, you can upgrade it to 4, 6, or 8 anytime that you like.
As to its specifications, the product has 6 gallons of water capacity. It has a diameter of 11 inches and a height of 31 inches.
Grab yours now here!
Berkey Light Water Filter
For a lighter version of the Berkey products, grab the Berkey Light Water Filter now. This one has a flow rate of 4 gallons in the first hour at regular usage. It can accommodate 1 to 5 people at normal use. But during emergencies, it can serve up to 200 people each day.
The Berkey Light Water filter can remove up to 99.85% of the Chromium 6. Furthermore, it is made of non-BPA or BPS co-polyester.
As to its specifications, the Berkey Light Water Filter has a filter capacity of 4 Black Berkey and 4 fluoride filters.
Grab yours now here!
The Dangers of Chromium 6 towards Human Health
The United States Department of Labor was able to share a public article that discusses the detailed health troubles that exposure to Chromium 6 can cause. In addition, they were also able to briefly summarize certain health conditions that a person could acquire upon exposure to chromium 6.
"Adverse health effects associated with Cr(VI) exposure include occupational asthma, eye irritation and damage, perforated eardrums, respiratory irritation, kidney damage, liver damage, pulmonary congestion and edema, upper abdominal pain, nose irritation and damage, respiratory cancer, skin irritation, and erosion and discoloration of the teeth. Some workers can also develop an allergic skin reaction, called allergic contact dermatitis. This occurs from handling liquids or solids containing Cr(VI) such as portland cement. Allergic contact dermatitis is long-lasting and more severe with repeated skin exposure. Furthermore, contact with non-intact skin can lead to ulceration of the skin, sometimes referred to as chrome ulcers. Chrome ulcers are crusted, painless lesions showing a pitted ulcer covered with fluid." (www.osha.gov)
Further researches and studies are still being continuously conducted to determine the specific health risks that Chromium 6 can bring upon ingestion through drinking water.
For now, Chromium 6 is identified to be a human carcinogen, which means that it promotes the formation of cancer. This is due to the reason that carcinogens can damage genomes in the body and disrupt the cellular metabolic process of the body. There are many natural carcinogens that have already been identified, and Chromium 6 is categorized under one of them.
Health authorities are still left questionable as to the particular health problems that Chromium 6 might cause to a human. They are not yet certain of what exact level of Chromium 6 that causes health risks or troubles to people.
On the other hand, what they have yet found out is that when they mixed a certain level of Chromium 6 on the drinking water of rats and mice, they, unfortunately, developed cancer over time.
Regardless of the uncertainty when it comes to the potential health risks that the Chromium 6 can do, scientists, who continue to study and seek further data when it comes to Chromium 6 in drinking water, for some reason are concerned even with just the low levels of Chromium 6 found in drinking water.
Particularly on the infants or kids, or even a developing fetus, that are or can be exposed to such contaminant.
Nonetheless, the presence of Chromium 6 in our drinking water is still a topmost concern to almost all communities. There may not be any particular names of health problems that are directly caused by the contamination of Chromium 6 yet.
However, there are symptoms of minor pains and discomfort that can be acquired upon ingesting the Chromium 6. Furthermore, such symptoms are said to increase in its severity when consumed over a long period of time.
Fortunately, the brighter side of all of this is that Chromium 6 contamination takes a longer period of time before it actually does something major to human health.
Chromium 6 in California, 2016
The different communities of California reported their concern with regards to the presence of Chromium 6 in their drinking water. The issue has affected several areas of the state, affecting not only hundreds but thousands of people. For example, residents in Rio Linda, California, were affected greatly by the contamination of this Chromium 6.
It has also been reported that due to the severe contamination of this Chromium 6, several local wells had to be abandoned because they were already unusable due to the Chromium 6 taking over their waters.
It is alarming that despite the fact that this is the place that is known to be firm and strict when it comes to their regulatory limits pertaining the Chromium 6, the contaminant somehow still seemed to manage its way through the California waters.
As of 2016, California is the only state that was able to enforce a maximum contaminant level for the Chromium 6. An approximate of Seven million Americans are said to be receiving tap water containing higher levels of Chromium 6, which were considered to be dangerous.
However, there was no trace of the origin as to where the Chromium 6 was able to make its way to their waters. The only potential reason that they can identify the case was the McClellan Air Force base.
Residents stated that they use the base as their location to proceed with their aircraft chrome plating operations. Hence, the source perhaps of the increase in the volume of the Chromium 6, which heavily affected their water.
North Carolina residents were also expressing their concerns and raising their complaints due to the Chromium 6 contamination of their waters. The population that was most affected by this were those near power plants that utilize coal for their operations.
Bill Walker once stated that we could never be too concerned with only one contaminant in our water. Since the real problem is that in this generation, our water is found to be contaminated with hundreds of things, and having hundreds of those contaminants is more dangerous than to have only one single contaminant in our water.
Why Take Care of your Water?
Water is, without a doubt, the essential necessity a person could have. Basically, it is the powering fuel that our body needs to function properly and efficiently. The average human body is barely composed of 60 percent water.
Not to mention that every organ, bone, and skin is also individually composed of water too. In that alone, it is clear enough to assume that our body definitely runs on water.
Without water, or with little access to it, your body might result in being dehydrated, and that is not a good sign. Dehydration can seriously affect the overall performance of a person.
Not only that, but it also branches out additional sicknesses such as high blood pressure, skin diseases, kidney troubles, and many more all because of dehydration or an inadequate amount of water.
Taking all of these into context, water must be assured of its cleanliness and safeness for a person to consume. We can not only rely on the fact that water alone can aid us in achieving good health and reach our optimum potentials. But, clean water is the key to attaining all of these.
← Older Post Newer Post →