Thursday, September 25, 2008

What Does Tap Water Contain? - What You Learn May Shock You

What does tap water contain? This is a big question many people are asking these days. Many people assume that their tap water is safe to drink however, is it really? The good news is the water supply in the United States is among the safest in the world. The bad news is that is not good enough. Many mysterious that illnesses have shown up are now being linked to tainted water.
So, what does tap water contain? Besides discussing what's in tap water it's interesting to know how pollution happens. Some pollutants like arsenic and radon happen naturally, and the amount of the contamination is determined in part by the land close to the waters origin. Additional ground water pollution happens from the neighboring land use practices.
Pollutants such as fertilizer pesticides, and microbial pollution, can occur. For instance nitrate pollution of water can happen from nitrate containing fertilizer used in farming areas. Fecal pollution from animal feedlots and seeping onsite sewer water systems which pollute the source of the ground water is another manner which contamination can occur.
In addition to those mentioned above there are just about 2,100 toxic substances in tap water according to the Ralph Nader Research Institute. Some of the more toxic pollutants in your tap water are; chlorine, arsenic, lead, pesticides, herbicides, mercury and drugs of all kinds.
In every glass of water you drink you may be getting a dose of antibiotics, anti depressants, caffeine, growth hormones, and birth control drugs. This is not something that is made up to scare you however it is true. There have been many cases of waterborne disease reported to The Center for Disease Control (CDC).
The U.S. EPA and National Geological Survey have also done studies all around the country and have found trace amounts of drugs in our tap water. The CDC reported 30 cases of waterborne diseases directly linked to drinking water during 2003-2004. The result was 2,760 illnesses and 4 deaths. 1,830 of the cases were linked back to ground water that was not treated properly or left untreated.
Now the question should not be what does tap water contain, but what can we do to be safe from polluted tap water?
We can not rely on government officials to do everything for us. The safest way to protect your self is to use a quality water filter that uses a combination of carbon filtration, ion exchange and sub micron filtration. After extensive research, that is best and safest type of water filter you can purchase. They are not very expensive if you buy direct from the manufacturer and well worth the money you spend on it.

For more information or articles please visit www.honostreview.com

With over 2,000 chemicles in tap water, which ones are you drinking?

There are over 2000 cancer-causing chemicals in tap water, according to studies completed by the Ralph Nader Research Group. If you currently drink tap water that has not been run through a good point-of-use or home filtration device, you are increasing your risk of cancer every time you take a sip. It's not really surprising that there are chemicals in tap water. It was kind of surprising that there are so many different one's, at least at first.
But, then I realized that everything in the environment eventually ends up in our surface and groundwater. Industrial pollutants and farm run-off are the biggest culprits, but everyday citizens like you and me are also responsible, as is your local public treatment facility. Facilities in several cities of the US are encouraging their citizens to drink tap water more often. Buy bottled water less often. I believe that's a very good suggestion, since the bottled water industry is responsible for a large amount of the environmental pollutants that are poisoning us, while wasting freshwater by the gallon, every time they fill up a bottle. But, I also believe that, regardless of where you live, you should not drink tap water without filtering it first. It's a simple and inexpensive step that could save your life.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has published their concerns about cyst contamination on their website. Cysts are parasites that are resistant to chemical disinfection. They may be present in anyone's supply and even in bottled brands. The chemicals in tap water kill you slowly, by building up in your organs and tissues over time. Cysts can kill you quickly, if you have a weak immune system. They cause flu-like symptoms that can easily dehydrate someone who has been ill. Cysts can only be removed through sub-micron filtration. A purifier must be certified to filter down to one micron in order to guarantee their removal. Watch out for inexpensive systems that claim to purifier. Most of them will not remove cysts.
Some people don't like to drink tap water because of the taste and smell of chlorine. It is one of the chemicals in tap water that is added by treatment facilities to kill bacteria and control algae growth in the pipelines.
It's not the most hazardous chemical, but it is a known allergen and constant exposure probably causes numerous health problems. The worst thing is that chlorination releases byproducts that have been shown to increase your risk of bladder and colorectal cancer. For many years, respected publications would not release studies concerning the risk. They feared the public would call for an end to chlorination, which would end up causing outbreaks of waterborne illnesses, all over the world. We're not really that stupid. We know that in order to drink tap water, bacteria and other microbes must be killed.
But, if we had known sooner about the cancer risks, we might have been able to better protect ourselves. Now that you know about the cancer-causing chemicals in tap water, your next step is to buy a home filtration device. Live longer and prosper.
Find out which Water Purification Devices can provide you and your family with an endless supply of healthy and pure water by visiting http://safeclearwater.com/ today.
Tyler Waterman is a health enthusiast and enjoys sharing his experience and research with others on the internet. Visit his site for additional information on this important safe and healthy water topic.

For more information or articles please visit www.honostreview.com

How to purify tap water for health and safety

How to purify tap water and insure your family's health and safety is outlined here. Synthetic and organic chemical compounds are present in public sources. Also heavy metal lead and parasitic cysts have been found in public water systems that enter homes.
Under ordinary circumstances, all of these things must be removed. In emergency situations, when bacterial contaminants have entered the water supply due to heavy flooding, improper treatment or natural disaster, the best solution is to filter and then boil.
Chlorine - Good Guy Bad Guy
If boiling is impossible, the only solution is household chlorine bleach. The Center for Disease Control recommends 8 drops of unscented chlorine bleach per gallon. Of course, in a perfect world, you would have stored plenty of purified drinking water, before hand.
Although chlorine bleach can be useful during emergencies, you certainly do not want to drink it everyday. Chlorine content can be reduced by 99% or greater. Chlorination byproducts and harmful volatile organic compounds can be reduced by 99% or more. Reverse osmosis and distillation purifiers do not remove chemicals.
Cheap brands like PUR and Brita do not include enough steps to remove all of them. Primarily, the cheap water filters remove some chlorine. Chlorination byproducts are even more harmful. They may cause cancer.
Of course, in a perfect world, you would have stored plenty of purified drinking water, before hand. But as you know bad things happen even suddenly.
How to Purify Tap Water & Remove Chemical Contaminants
Granular activated carbon, carbon blocks and other filtering materials are the best solutions for removing chemical contaminants. The best home purifiers include several stages to remove the widest range and variety of chemicals.
How to Purify Tap Water Containing Lead and other Metallic Traces
Lead and traces of other metals are present in many homes around the world. Until recently, lead solder was used to connect copper piping. As these pipes degrade, the metals leach into your water.
Ion exchange steps remove lead and other metals; improve taste, mineral content and pH level. Reverse osmosis only reduces lead to the "federal action level". That's insufficient, since small traces of lead build up in the body over time, interfering with the ability to absorb nutrients from food and causing other health problems. Ion exchange reduces lead content by 99% or more.
How to Purify Tap Water Containing Cysts
Cysts may be present at any time. Facilities try to warn consumers, when cyst contamination is noticed. But, often the warnings are not posted soon enough to prevent thousands of people from becoming ill.
Submicron filtration removes cysts. Boiling and reverse osmosis will also remove them. But, a submicron filter on your tap costs less than reverse osmosis and protects you at all times, unlike boiling which can only be done in an emergency situation.
Even bottled brands can contain cysts. Exposure can also occur by brushing your teeth or washing fresh fruits and vegetables. They are the size of a speck of dust on a pinhead, invisible to the naked eye.
A system must be certified to remove anything larger than one micron. The best systems remove anything larger than a half a micron, just to be safe.
When combined, ion exchange, sub micron filtration and chemical removal provide the safest drinking water available. Now, you know how to purify tap water completely. Just, look for a system that includes all of those steps. I found one water filter system, see resource box, that included all the steps making how to purify tap water simple and safe.
Larry L. Taylor is a dedicated advocate of living a healthy lifestyle and diligent researcher of water purification systems. Visit his site at: http://www.cleanwaterpure.com/ to discover how to Purify Tap Water with a proper water filtration system that Larry recommends.

For more information or articles please visit www.honostreview.com