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.
Many of the water treatment plants use a sand water filter to remove the larger particulate debris from the water. In order to aid in the removal of some of the smaller particles during this procedure, flocculants are often added, these are polyexectrolytes that entice the smaller debris to cling together.
Well, we know how the water utilities start to clean our water and what they add to it, so, let's see what comes into our homes.
1. Chlorine - A deadly poison to start with, but it morphs into even more deadly forms by the time it reaches our homes. These chlorine byproducts are called THMs (trihalomethanes) and they are formed when chlorine combines with organic matter in the water. Some treatment plants are now using less chlorine by adding ammonia to the mix, claiming it is safer. While it is true, there are fewer THMs produced with the chlorine- ammonia mix, new chemicals compounds are being produced as well, having, as yet, unknown toxicities.
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.
What is our health risk when drinking tap water with this toxic mix? We know the risk of developing cancer is 93% greater for people who drink chlorinated water than for those who do not. And we know drinking chlorinated water leads to heart disease. But, what is the risk when the poisons above combine with one another or with the thousands of other toxic pollutants that have been found in our water supplies throughout the U.S?
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.
Many of the water treatment plants use a sand water filter to remove the larger particulate debris from the water. In order to aid in the removal of some of the smaller particles during this procedure, flocculants are often added, these are polyexectrolytes that entice the smaller debris to cling together.
Well, we know how the water utilities start to clean our water and what they add to it, so, let's see what comes into our homes.
1. Chlorine - A deadly poison to start with, but it morphs into even more deadly forms by the time it reaches our homes. These chlorine byproducts are called THMs (trihalomethanes) and they are formed when chlorine combines with organic matter in the water. Some treatment plants are now using less chlorine by adding ammonia to the mix, claiming it is safer. While it is true, there are fewer THMs produced with the chlorine- ammonia mix, new chemicals compounds are being produced as well, having, as yet, unknown toxicities.
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.
What is our health risk when drinking tap water with this toxic mix? We know the risk of developing cancer is 93% greater for people who drink chlorinated water than for those who do not. And we know drinking chlorinated water leads to heart disease. But, what is the risk when the poisons above combine with one another or with the thousands of other toxic pollutants that have been found in our water supplies throughout the U.S?
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.
About the Author:
David Eastham has done comprehensive research on such topics as sand water filtration to find the best method of providing good, clean drinking water. Follow him for his picks as the best dollar for dollar buys, and the best products overall, in water filtration systems.
