You may have heard the news that you are drinking unsafe water. Reports say millions of Americans are drinking water tainted with toxic chemicals.
USA Today reported that about 4 million people in the US were exposed to deadly, toxic chemicals in their drinking water.
USA Today added that despite this reality in the water, federal and state regulators often do not force them to comply with the law. Below is the data that USA Today investigated for a year.
-
About 4 million people get water from small companies. They skipped tests or did not conduct them properly.
-
Some 100,000 people get water from companies that found high lead but failed to remove it.
-
An estimated 850 small companies have documented histories of lead contamination, yet they have not properly tested for lead since 2010.
The above evidence is alarming! People living in rural areas are at a high risk of significant lead exposure. Who wouldn’t want to be protected from lead?
The potential for permanent harm is horrifying. Kids are much more concerned. As a leading expert on lead in drinking water emphasizes, they are America's children.
Conversely, other researchers have analyzed industrial chemical levels in over 36,000 water samples from all over the US and found that 6 million people are exposed to unsafe drinking water.
The researchers say it’s probably too soon for most people in the affected areas to swear off tap water altogether. But they do advise that people in the worst-affected town, Hoosick Falls, NY. They should switch to bottled water for the time being.
What are the Deadly Chemicals Present?
The chemicals in question are called PFASs, or Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals repel oil and water and manufacture paints, food packaging, leather, and fire-fighting foam.
The study found that the levels of these chemicals exceed government-recommended safety levels for at least 6 million people in the United States.
Seventy-five percent of the PFAS detected came from drinking water in 13 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Experts say the dangerous chemicals in their drinking water may trigger various health problems, ranging from cancer to higher cholesterol levels. Experts have said that it can also compromise the immune system and cause hormonal disruptions.
Risks of PFAS
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals " because they don't break down once released into the environment. Once ingested, they can build up in our blood and organs.
Exposure to PFAS increases the risk of cancer, harms the development of the fetus, and reduces the effectiveness of vaccines. Biomonitoring studies by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the blood of nearly all Americans is contaminated with PFAS.
The most infamous PFAS compound is PFOA, which DuPont formerly used to make Teflon. PFOS was also formerly an ingredient in 3M’s Scotchgard. The EPA pressured manufacturers to phase out these compounds but persisted in drinking water, people, and the environment.
Other Toxins That Might Be in Your Drinking Water
Water is a life-sustaining fluid that’s essential to health. But drinking straight out of the tap can threaten our health.
Drinking tap or spring water will likely get you more than you bargained for. Contaminants include chlorine, fluorine compounds, Trihalomethanes (THMs), various hormones, pesticides, and even trace amounts of prescription drugs. It can be a witches’ brew of health-killing effluvia – but you can improve the odds.
Its quality is a subject that we’ve been giving an on-point realization. We can recall the residents of Flint, Michigan, who suffered from toxic levels of lead in their water due to incompetent governance.
Unfortunately, water quality issues have not been a recent development. Industrial dumping, pesticide runoff, leaky storage tanks, and government mandates have created big problems. Look at some of the nastiest water contaminants pouring out of your faucet.
1. Fluoride
Adding fluoride to drinking water began in the 1940s to help reduce tooth decay. While this sounds like a noble cause, fluoride is a neurotoxin and an endocrine disruptor. It can harm the thyroid gland and calcify the pineal gland.
Some U.S. cities have caught on and started rejecting fluoridation. The US Department of Health has lowered the recommended level of fluoride in drinking water systems. Still, 66% of the US population consumes water with the mineral.
A 2012 Harvard University study conducted a meta-analysis of 27 students. The research, which lasted 22 years, showed the relationship between fluoride exposure and brain development.
The analysis determined that children in areas with high fluoride levels in their drinking water had lower IQs, significantly lower than those in areas with lower fluoride levels.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also noted that chronic exposure to high fluoride levels can impair muscles and cause joint stiffness and pain.
Fluoridation In Other Countries
If fluoridation is not safe and effective, why don't other countries do it? The U.S. is nowhere near the top of any health list compared to other countries. So what are the healthy countries doing?
If fluoride is so great, why have the following countries either never fluoridated or else stopped when they found out how bad it was?:
- West Germany
- The Netherlands
- France
- Belgium
- Finland
- Sweden
- Norway
- Denmark
- Japan
- Italy
- Scotland
2. Chlorine
Chlorine has disinfectant properties that are useful for cleaning products and swimming pools. Chlorine is added to drinking water as a purification technique despite not being completely safe.
However, when chlorine mixes with other organic compounds, it creates a few harmful byproducts. One of these byproducts is a group of chemicals known as trihalomethanes (THMs).
This chemical can have adverse effects on the kidneys and can increase the risk of cancer. Another known chemical is haloacetic acids (HAAs). It can cause skin irritation and can also increase cancer risk.
Chlorine is a reactive chemical that bonds with water. Including the water in your gut produces poisonous hydrochloric acid. Long-term effects include memory loss and impaired balance.
Low chlorine levels in the water system can expose people to Giardia parasites, a pathogen that causes nausea, cramps, and diarrhea.
3. Lead
Lead is the main toxin causing problems in Flint and almost every part of the US. It was also a problem in Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Washington, DC. They have all seen unsafe levels of lead in their water supplies in the recent past.
Lead service lines banned it in the new plumbing systems in the US in 1986. Still, plenty of the nation’s old pipes remain.
Today, almost a third of US water systems contain lead service lines. When the pipes corrode, they can release toxic lead into local drinking water, posing a danger to residents' health.
Corroded pipes release up to ten times the allowable amount of lead into the water. Lead is toxic to almost every organ and affects children the worst.
Children exposed to lead can suffer permanent brain damage. It results in learning disabilities and increased violent behavior. It also poses developmental issues, stunted growth, and deafness. Lastly, brain damage can result from exposure to lead.
In adults, chronic exposure to low lead levels can cause nausea, seizures, and reproductive issues.
4. Mercury
Although mercury naturally occurs, “natural” does not mean “safe.” Mercury is highly toxic. It can cause brain damage, blindness, nerve damage, cognitive disability, impairment of motor functions, headaches, weakness, muscle atrophy, tremors, mood swings, memory loss, and skin rashes.
Industrial waste sites have been shown to pollute well water contaminated with mercury. Mercury can seep through the well water from various sources. It does not just come from industrial waste.
Mercury can also be found in discarded household products such as paint. Even short-term exposure to mercury can damage the nervous system and kidneys. How much more or longer exposure to the chemical can impede unborn children's development?
The EPA has good news. It has been regulating mercury in drinking water for almost thirty years, so there’s a slim chance your water will be exposed to or contaminated.
When regulating tap water across the US, the EPA said they “may not know” whether your water is safe to drink.
5. PCBs
PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are chemicals used for industrial purposes. They are helpful for insulation, machinery, oil, paints, adhesives, electronics, and fluorescent lights.
Although PCBs were banned in 1979, they’re still present in landfills and pose a danger to the environment. PCBs break down slowly and infiltrate the environment. They have been found in snow and seawater thousands of miles from where they were produced.
6. Arsenic
Arsenic is a common element in the earth’s crust, making sense it’s a common contaminant. Reuters reported that southwestern cities like Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Scottsdale, and Tucson have arsenic-contaminated drinking water sources. The levels exceeded what is approved by the EPA.
In California’s Central Valley, excessive groundwater pumping leached toxic arsenic levels into local water supplies. The Central Valley’s main agricultural hotspots have shown dangerous levels of arsenic over the last ten years.
According to a 2018 Nature study, 10% of the wells tested in the San Joaquin Valley were contaminated.
Exposure to arsenic increases one’s risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Like lead, the chemical can bring brain development issues in children.
Arsenic has seeped through the water supply in California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
7. Copper
As pipes and faucets age, they corrode and release copper into the drinking water. They can generate enough exposure to threaten our health. One obvious sign of elevated levels of copper in your pipes is piped turning into blue-green colors.
Copper is not necessarily harmful in small doses. But, high levels of exposure can produce health problems. Such problems are anemia and liver and kidney damage.
In September 2018, at least 57 out of 86 Detroit public schools tested positive for high levels of copper or lead. Elevated levels of copper have been found in Detroit public schools.
8. Radioactive Substances
Radium, uranium, thorium, and radon are radioactive substances. Unlike joint relief, they come from nuclear power plants. However, all are found in nature. Bad practices, such as coal mining, construction, and oil and gas production, can aggravate these naturally occurring isotopes, causing them to seep into groundwater.
One incident in which radium leached into the groundwater caused a major problem in Texas. High amounts of radium contributed to the most widespread water violations in the US, and radium exposure is linked to bone cancer.
Other radioactive materials can produce cancers of the lungs, thyroid, liver, kidneys, stomach, and skin.
9. Perchlorate
Perchlorate is a common oxidizer in solid propellants, fireworks, and explosives. They are also present in fertilizers, chlorine cleaners, and pool chlorination. Perchlorates have contaminated water sources and in drinking water.
California and Massachusetts enforced strict limits on the use of this chemical, but this does not prevent residents of other states from being exposed.
The EPA has identified 45 states with perchlorate in drinking water, which puts an estimated 16 million Americans at risk of consuming the chemical.
The chemical poses the greatest danger to pregnant women and children. This is due to the link between this chemical and brain development issues.
10. Manganese
Manganese, like arsenic, is a natural element in the earth’s crust. It is an essential nutrient in the human diet, but a high dosage can have adverse effects.
The nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) determined that an estimated 9 million Americans are exposed to manganese in their drinking water.
It comes from public water systems that produce 300 parts per billion of manganese. This number is not the set number recommended by EPA.
Some scientists and research shows it can affect the nervous system. For now, overexposure to the mineral poses the most significant risk to children and pregnant women.
Other studies also exposed that manganese can lead to behavior issues and intellectual impairment.
11. Nitrate
Like Arsenic, nitrate is a contaminant in groundwater. The chemical seeps into water sources as runoff from fertilizers or septic systems.
Though it does not threaten adults, nitrate-contaminated water is dangerous for infants. This is the case for those who consume more water relative to their body weight.
Even for a short exposure time, the chemical can reduce the amount of oxygen in an infant’s blood. This leads to methemoglobinemia or “baby blue disease.” The symptoms include digestive and respiratory problems, brain damage, and even death.
How to Combat the Issues in Your Drinking Water?
Some people are under the impression that they can remove toxins from water by boiling it. Boiling water kills harmful organisms. But still, it does nothing to remove toxic chemicals, compounds, salts, and metals.
One more home remedy is to flush your pipes before drinking. Only use cold water for consumption, drinking, cooking, and especially for making baby formula.
They will probably be effective in reducing lead levels because most of the lead in household water usually comes from the plumbing in your house. They are not really from the local water supply.
However, the simple remedies mentioned above are still uncertain. We wanted what was best. We aim for an assertive assurance that our water is 101% pathogens-free. And certainly with disease-causing toxic.
With a new water crisis in the news practically every week, there isn’t much explanation for this one.
Water filtration is simple. It is a no-brainer way to support health by preventing toxic chemicals and carcinogens from entering the body, which is why everyone should do it.
This year alone, there has been much media coverage, from lead and PFCs to toxic chromium 6. Gross negligence exists in our water treatment facilities within the United States. The bottom line is that if you’re looking to avoid or overcome any health crisis, Securing access to clean drinking water is a must!
More than 200 million Americans are exposed to unsafe levels of heavy metal contaminants, pesticides, and other toxic chemicals.
Let’s face it: Tap water is filled with unwanted toxins, such as endocrine disruptors, mood-altering medications, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical agents, which are flushed down the toilet and reintroduced into the water supply.
These concerns have become critical health issues – what is the water quality you drink? Of course, I’ve written extensively about the value of drinking (pure) spring water – but not everyone has access to this kind of water.
Compared to expensive bottled water brands, the Berkey Water Filter system offers clean water (for pennies per gallon). In addition, several bottled water brands fail to provide clean drinking water – because their filtration systems are not great.
Using filtration systems to rid our tap water of harmful contaminants
Bottled water can be of high quality sometimes, but its cost makes it a less-than-ideal solution. There is also a potential problem with the cloudy plastic (PVC) containers from your grocery store as they transfer far too many chemicals into the water.
Therefore, let's look at filters to find a better solution.
"Buy a filter or be a filter." That's one company's slogan.
Today, there is enough grassroots awareness about the dangers of tap water that cheap carbon filters are available in any hardware store and attach easily to the kitchen faucet. Such filters likely eliminate most of the chlorine—for a while.
However, the customer should consider one of the high-end drinking water filters to get biological, fluoride, heavy metals, and other contaminants resistant.
Killing microbes is not a big deal since chlorine does most of that. Better filters remove most contaminants. The problem when choosing a filter seems to come down to four main concerns: fluoride, minerals, THMs, and nitrates.
Finding one filter that does everything is difficult. Many reverse osmosis filters remove fluoride and healthy minerals, while many high-end carbon filters do not remove fluoride or nitrates but leave the healthy minerals.
Fluoride is an important one. Find out if the filter you are about to buy removes fluoride and what percentage. After what we've learned about fluoride, we should expect a filter to remove it, wouldn't you say? The problem is the demand.
Due to fluoride advocate propaganda, most Americans don't even realize fluoride is bad for them and, therefore, don't think about it when considering a water filter.
The mineral is an area of some controversy. You've got the hard water/soft water debate. Hard water has more minerals, which is better for the bones and teeth and probably for the heart.
Most naturopaths and holistic nutritionists dislike distilled water because it leaches minerals from the bones and teeth. That seems logical, although some experts say it doesn't make any difference unless the person is malnourished.
No formal studies have compared distilled with mineral water, so the comparison is all pretty theoretical. However, considering the Hunzas and their 120-year lifespan, which is attributed to the glacial mineral waters they drank, one can see the value of minerals in drinking water.
A high-end water filter should consider this discussion and explain the importance or unimportance of filtering out certain minerals. The Berkey filter has been strongly preferred.
The health benefits of using a Berkey Water Filter
- Conveniently protect your loved ones from toxic chemical exposures such as chromium 6, lead, Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs), and pharmaceuticals from your tap water.
- Peace of mind – in an emergency like losing electricity, you will have access to clean drinking water.
- Filtered water in your home does not mean installing a costly, in-line system.
What do Berkey Water Filters remove?
Berkey Water Filters can remove:
- Lead - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
- Arsenic - Removed to greater than 99.9%
- Iron - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
- Mercury - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
- Chlorine - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
- Bisphenol-A - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
- Chloramines - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
- Pharmaceuticals - Removed to greater than 99.5%.
- Petroleum Contaminants - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
- Methylcyclohexane-methane - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
- Pesticides - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
- Heavy Metals - Removed to greater than 99.1%.
- Atrazine - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
- Fluoride - Removed to greater than 99.9%.
What else does the Berkey Water Filter have to offer?
The Berkey Filter System is a free-standing countertop unit, making it portable and affordable. Its filters last an average of 3-4 years and cost pennies per gallon.
In addition, portable Berkey units are perfect for travel or vacation. Even for camping, these filters are ideal for taking along.
Conclusion
Of all the facts determined above, may it be through research, studies, and newsprint or mainstream media. It is distinctly evident how toxic chemicals excruciatingly ravage Americans’ drinking water. Unfortunately, this has caused malignant health issues to thousands of millions of them!
In a nutshell, the Berkey Water System is created to combat those water issues simply. Those problems are seriously practical to rectify in every household. This water filtration has authentically proven its efficiency and effectiveness.
Living a healthy lifestyle and making better choices for you and your family should not start with the food you eat.
Drinking clean water will help you meet your health and fitness goals. Investing in your Berkey water system can avoid exposure to unwanted toxins.
← Older Post Newer Post →