Good, safe drinking water in the U.S. starts with a sand water filter. I say this because using sand as a filter medium is often used as one of the first steps in purifying the water produced by our water treatments plants. Bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc, are controlled in the next step by the addition of chlorine and, usually, fluoride is then added to aid in controlling tooth decay in children. We will look at what is being added to our water supplies in these treatment plants and how safe the resulting water is for us to drink.
The larger debris in the water is removed with a sand water filter according to most of the water treatment facilities. To help this process capture the smaller particles, flocculants are usually added. These are polyexectrolytes that cause these little pieces of debris to clump together into a filterable size.
Now we will take a closer look and these additives so we understand what is coming out of our taps at home.
1. Chlorine - A very effective, inexpensive poison, changes as it travels to your home into a vast array of deadly, carcinogenic compounds called trihalomethanes (THMs). In a recent attempt to reduce the number of these chlorine byproducts, some treatment facilities are mixing ammonia with the chlorine. While the resulting mixture does produce fewer THMs, it also produces a host of new chemical compounds whose toxic properties are, as of now, unknown.
2. Fluoride - You may know fluoride is poisonous, but did you know it is more poisonous than lead, if swallowed, and only slightly less poisonous than arsenic? Water treatment plants can have up to 4,000 parts per billion (ppb) of fluoride in the water, but they are only allowed a maximum of 15 ppb of arsenic and 50 ppb of lead. Does that make any sense to you since fluoride falls between lead and arsenic in toxicity? Have you ever read the warning on the label of a tube of fluoride toothpaste? It tells you a child less than six years old who eats some of the toothpaste, a piece about the size of a single, shelled peanut, likely will have a deadly serious problem!
3. Polyelectrolytes - Although some of these flocculants have been found to cause genetic mutations and have been banned in other countries, and EPA scientists have said they are likely carcinogens, they are still allowed to be used in the U.S. by the EPA.
It's impossible to know our health risk from drinking water with just these three additives. But we do know drinking chlorinated water has been linked to heart disease and that those who drink chlorinated water are at a far greater risk of developing cancer (93% greater) than those who don't drink chlorinated water. And what is the risk to our health after these additives combine with each other or with the myriad of drugs, pesticides, herbicides, etc. that have been discovered in the water around the country?
No one knows. We can only rely on our common sense, and common sense tells us we will likely be healthier if we reduce our health risk by not ingesting, or bathing in, these toxins. Common sense also tells us we can likely reduce our body's toxic load by flushing out any existing toxins by drinking good, safe water.
We see a sand water filter is a start toward good, safe water but there is more to be done. There is the need to protect ourselves and our families by filtering these toxins out of our water before we or our families drink it or bathe in it. It is just good, common sense. - 16463
The larger debris in the water is removed with a sand water filter according to most of the water treatment facilities. To help this process capture the smaller particles, flocculants are usually added. These are polyexectrolytes that cause these little pieces of debris to clump together into a filterable size.
Now we will take a closer look and these additives so we understand what is coming out of our taps at home.
1. Chlorine - A very effective, inexpensive poison, changes as it travels to your home into a vast array of deadly, carcinogenic compounds called trihalomethanes (THMs). In a recent attempt to reduce the number of these chlorine byproducts, some treatment facilities are mixing ammonia with the chlorine. While the resulting mixture does produce fewer THMs, it also produces a host of new chemical compounds whose toxic properties are, as of now, unknown.
2. Fluoride - You may know fluoride is poisonous, but did you know it is more poisonous than lead, if swallowed, and only slightly less poisonous than arsenic? Water treatment plants can have up to 4,000 parts per billion (ppb) of fluoride in the water, but they are only allowed a maximum of 15 ppb of arsenic and 50 ppb of lead. Does that make any sense to you since fluoride falls between lead and arsenic in toxicity? Have you ever read the warning on the label of a tube of fluoride toothpaste? It tells you a child less than six years old who eats some of the toothpaste, a piece about the size of a single, shelled peanut, likely will have a deadly serious problem!
3. Polyelectrolytes - Although some of these flocculants have been found to cause genetic mutations and have been banned in other countries, and EPA scientists have said they are likely carcinogens, they are still allowed to be used in the U.S. by the EPA.
It's impossible to know our health risk from drinking water with just these three additives. But we do know drinking chlorinated water has been linked to heart disease and that those who drink chlorinated water are at a far greater risk of developing cancer (93% greater) than those who don't drink chlorinated water. And what is the risk to our health after these additives combine with each other or with the myriad of drugs, pesticides, herbicides, etc. that have been discovered in the water around the country?
No one knows. We can only rely on our common sense, and common sense tells us we will likely be healthier if we reduce our health risk by not ingesting, or bathing in, these toxins. Common sense also tells us we can likely reduce our body's toxic load by flushing out any existing toxins by drinking good, safe water.
We see a sand water filter is a start toward good, safe water but there is more to be done. There is the need to protect ourselves and our families by filtering these toxins out of our water before we or our families drink it or bathe in it. It is just good, common sense. - 16463
About the Author:
David Eastham has done extensive research on such topics as fluoridated water to discover the best technique to provide good, clean drinking water. Here are his best dollar for dollar buys, and the best products overall, in water filtration technology.
