People have been alarmed by contaminants that pollute our water systems. Many contaminants pose certain risks to human health. One that has received 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 some time.
Studies and research have been conducted to explain the nature of Chromium 6 and its effects on water and, most importantly, human health.
Nonetheless, spreading knowledge and awareness among the community about dealing with such a contaminant is paramount. If it harms our health, we should 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 with your daily activities, or you could try to at least educate yourself about the potential health risks this contaminant might cost you one day.
Yes, you may not be seeing or experiencing any health problems now and might just think everything is okay. However, it is best advised to stay alert and aware of the consequences it may bring.
Everyone deserves the right to access safe and drinkable water, and no one should be deprived of that right. It is also proper to add that everyone deserves the right to be informed.
What is Chromium 6?
Chromium 6 is an element of the periodic table classified under the 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.
Numerous kinds of Chromium have been recognized. However, the most identifiable forms in society are trivalent Chromium (chromium-3), hexavalent Chromium (chromium-6), and the metal form of Chromium (chromium-0).
Although numerous forms of Chromium are prevalent, we will focus on Chromium 6 in particular. This chemical compound threatens the quality and safety of our water, especially for consumption.
Typically, Chromium 6 is produced through different industrial processes. Chromium 6 is commonly used for manufacturing chrome plates, an essential component in making stainless steel, which plays an important role in wood preservation, leather tanning, and textile dyes and pigments.
It has also been proven that Chromium 6 is a great compound for anti-corrosion usage and conversion coatings.
How to Remove Chromium 6 in Drinking Water
It can be difficult to completely remove Chromium 6 from your water source. Unlike lead, which can be removed by flushing the pipes, since lead leaches into the water pipes, Chromium 6 is different.
Flushing your water pipes would not result in trying to remove or reduce Chromium 6 in water. This is because chromium six is mixed from the water source itself.
A few methods to efficiently remove Chromium 6 in your water are reverse osmosis and a high-end water filtration system.
Things to do to protect the Family
Installing a water filter is one of the simplest yet most effective ways of dealing with high levels of Chromium in drinking water.
On the other hand, many people turn to bottled water as a temporary solution. However, this method must be approached with caution. Although bottled water companies follow the same standard as public water utilities, they are not required to publicly announce their findings.
As such, bottled water can contain chemical contaminants that exceed the levels allowed by the state. Also, it is not tested often for biological contaminants. Finally, bottled water is harmful to the environment due to plastic bottles.
You can use a countertop filter or a pitcher filter for affordable protection. Indeed, these units are more affordable than reverse osmosis. However, research and check for products that can remove Chromium 6.
What is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis treats water and removes harmful contaminants by applying pressure, forcing water molecules to pass through a semipermeable membrane.
The semipermeable membrane comprises microscopic pores that prevent contaminants from passing through. The contaminants are filtered out during this process, leaving you with contaminant-free water.
When the contaminants are separated from the water source, they are drained from the reverse osmosis water system.
Permeate, or product, is used when the water successfully enters the membrane. Usually, the permeate or product has contaminants removed by up to 95% to 99%.
A variety of reverse osmosis systems are now available on the market. However, they do not promise the same level of contaminant removal as higher-end water filtration products.
It has been proven that although reverse osmosis can remove contaminants, there are still more effective filtration devices that assure a higher contaminant removal rate.
One example of a water filtration system is the Berkey Water Filtration System.
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 high standards worldwide for ensuring safe and healthy drinking water. The Berkey Water Filtration System has already been tested and proven to 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 nutrients that the body needs for a day-to-day encounter.
The Berkey Water Filtration Systems are made of well-constructed, highly polished 304 stainless steel. They also have an essential kit package containing two Black Berkey elements (expandable to four), two chambers, a lid, a spigot, a rubber gasket base, and two blocking plugs.
In addition, the Berkey system can significantly reduce fluoride and arsenic through its PF-2 Fluoride and Arsenic filters installed in the lower chamber. To top it all off, the Berkey systems can also remove food coloring mixed with the water.
The Black Berkey Elements are the heart of the Berkey Water Filtration System. They are responsible for all the filtration work and are very effective and reliable in providing your household with safe, 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. The lab test results show that 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.
When used regularly, the Crown Berkey Water Filter can produce up to 6.5 gallons per hour. Six to twelve people can use the product regularly and daily, accommodating up to 300 to 625 people daily during emergencies.
Moreover, the Crown Berkey comes with two Black Berkey Elements. However, you can upgrade it to four, six, or eight.
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
Grab the Berkey Light Water Filter now for a lighter version of the Berkey products. 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 published a public article discussing the health troubles exposure to Chromium 6 can cause. The article also briefly summarizes certain health conditions 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 when 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 skin ulceration, sometimes called chrome ulcers. Chrome ulcers are crusted, painless lesions showing a pitted ulcer covered with fluid." (www.osha.gov)
Further research and studies are continuously being conducted to determine the health risks Chromium 6 can pose when ingested through drinking water.
For now, Chromium 6 is identified as a human carcinogen, which means it promotes cancer formation. C Carcinogens can damage genomes and disrupt the body's cellular metabolic process. Many natural carcinogens have already been identified, and Chromium 6 is categorized as one of them.
Health authorities are still questionable about the health problems that Chromium 6 might cause a human. They are not yet certain of the exact level of Chromium 6 that causes health risks or troubles to people.
On the other hand, what they have yet to find out is that when they mixed a certain level of Chromium 6 in 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 Chromium 6 can pose, 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 infants, kids, or even developing fetuses that can be exposed to contaminants.
Nonetheless, the presence of Chromium 6 in drinking water is still a top concern for almost all communities. Although chromium 6 contamination may not directly cause any particular health problems, it may eventually do so.
However, minor pains and discomfort can be acquired upon ingesting Chromium 6. Furthermore, such symptoms are said to increase in severity when consumed over a long period.
Fortunately, the brighter side of all this is that Chromium 6 contamination takes longer before it harms human health.
Chromium 6 in California, 2016
Californian communities reported concern about the presence of Chromium 6 in their drinking water. The issue has affected several areas of the state, affecting hundreds and thousands of people.
For example, the contamination of Chromium 6 greatly affected residents in Rio Linda, California.
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 even though this country is known to be firm and strict about its regulatory limits for Chromium 6, the contaminant somehow manages to manage its way through California's waters.
As of 2016, California is the only state to enforce a maximum contaminant level for Chromium 6. Approximately seven million Americans drink tap water containing higher levels of this dangerous element.
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 they could 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 may have been the increased volume of Chromium 6, which heavily affected their water.
North Carolina residents also expressed concerns and complained about the Chromium 6 contamination of their waters. The population most affected by this were those near power plants that utilize coal for their operations.
Bill Walker once stated that we should never be too concerned about only one contaminant in our water.
The real problem is that our water is contaminated with hundreds of contaminants in this generation, which is more dangerous than having only one contaminant.
Why Take Care of Your Water?
Water is, without a doubt, a necessity a person could have. 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 individually composed of water. It is clear enough to assume that our body runs on water in that alone.
If you don't have access to or limited access to water, your body might be dehydrated, which is not a good sign. Dehydration can seriously affect a person's overall performance.
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.
Considering all these, water must be clean and safe for a person to consume. We can not only rely on the fact that water alone can aid us in achieving good health and reaching our optimum potential. But clean water is the key to attaining all of these.
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