Contaminated water found at... Unhealthy water at Marina Beach - Do not swim!... Bottled water no purer than tap water... Over 90% of all rivers and lakes contaminated with this parasite...Don't drink the water or eat ice cubes when traveling to foreign countries...
These are headlines frequently read in the newspaper and magazines about the status of not only our water but also the water of other countries. And that is exactly why most of us simply don't take a chance on what we put in our mouth. Instead, we bring bottled water with us everywhere. When we travel, we don't use tap water for anything except washing our hands or rinsing a coffee cup that we won't be using again. We use bottled water for moistening and rinsing our toothbrush when we travel. We use uv-filtered water for making ice cubes and for cooking.
Many of us have resorted to taking personal water filters with us everywhere - on camping trips, on mini vacations, to the beach, to the health club, and to conventions because we don't know what's in the water we will be served.
In fact, that's the main problem. We simply don't know what's in the water on tap.
Years ago, the only people concerned with water were those who camped out in remote wooded areas, mountains or deserts. Their concerns were well-founded. In the early 1990's a research report in one of the popular outdoors magazines reported that over 90% of U.S. streams and rivers were contaminated with a parasite called Giardia lamblia. Giardia invades the intestinal tract and causes an intestinal infection that brings diarrhea to its victims. And diarrhea certainly isn't what any camper wants when he's out there in the middle of nowhere. Diarrhea can cause electrolyte loss which can lead to death if not taken care of properly.
But it's not just Giardia that has been found in the water in the U.S. Another parasite called Cryptosporidium (causing abdominal pain and diarrhea for about 10 days, caused death in 100 people in Milwaukee in 1993. Treatment utilities surveyed discovered Cryptosporidium in over 80% of the rivers and lakes that supplied the 66 major systems. Entamoeba histolytica is another water-borne pathogen that can cause not only diarrhea, but also liver abscesses.
In 1991 and 1992, more than 53,000 water treatment systems violated EPA rules according to the Natural Resources Defense. This amounted to 25,000 incidents of contamination, yet EPA issued fewer than 4000 fines. These types of incidents seem to be on the rise.
Those alarming incidents of water contamination do not just include contamination by parasites. Water is notoriously high in manganese, arsenic, nickel, vanadium or other heavy metals depending on the location. For example, right here in the Sacramento area, there are "pockets" where high manganese levels are found in the well water. High levels of manganese can cause destruction of nerve cells in the brain. High levels of arsenic and nickel can cause internal organ damage. High levels of vanadium can cause diabetes by destroying cells of the pancreas. We depend on the city to test our water regularly, monitoring it for safe levels, but do not get water that meets our own personal and even city's expectations.
Parasites and heavy metals are two of the three primary contaminants in water. The third is chemicals. How many times have you heard about activist groups concerned about the levels of chlorine and fluoride found in the water that can impact our health negatively? One of the most recent questionable chemicals found in water is MTBE, which stands for methyl tertiary butyl ether. MTBE is an additive in gasoline that was designed to purify the air, one of the byproducts of the oil refining processes. Studies showed it really did not curb air pollution, after it was added to gasoline in the late 1970s. The problem is that MTBE is 28 times more soluble than benzene, more likely to stay in water, and according to the EPA ruling in July 1999, MTBE had to be reduced in use as a gasoline additive because it is a known animal and human carcinogen that poses problems in drinking water.
U.S. Geological Survey tests found that 27% of urban wells and springs tested positive for MTBE and even shallow groundwater in reservoirs and drinking water is contaminated. Most likely, the chemical is leaking from underground storage tanks and pipelines. MTBE, unfortunately is more than 30 times more soluble in water than other toxic compounds found in gasoline. Over-filling at gasolines can easily contaminate surface water and underground drinking water.
The only solution is point of use water filtration devices. Every one of us must take responsibility for our own water supply, and insure that it is clean.
Water filters come in all different sizes, shapes and varieties, ranging from carbon filters which pull out chemicals, including chlorine and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl compounds). Some include reverse osmosis water filters, others are distillers, and some are ozonators which kill parasites. There are water filtration units that can be attached to the shower head, under the sink and on the plumbing for the entire house. If you go camping or travel frequently, a water filter can be taken with you that fits inside a lunch box or backpack. Whatever you need in a water filter can be found; whatever you do, get one!
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