ABCs of Water Contamination
Americans pride themselves on having very high quality water and many make the assumption that all water is the same. A thorough study of water sources around the world would tell a different story. The world is in an unprecedented water quality crisis, where treatment costs are skyrocketing (in recent months, towns across America have doubled their water supply rates) and where clean water is a rapidly diminishing resource.
Depending on where you live, it is easy to find trace amounts of chlorination byproducts, organics, nitrates, pesticides, heavy metals, radioactive compounds, petrochemicals and parasites coming from the local municipal water supply. Even if you get your water from a private well, you may be surprised to know that all of these contaminants can be present.
We recommend you contact your local water treatment plant and get a copy of your annual water report. It will give you a good snapshot of the quality of your local water and inform you of any violations that have occurred recently. Once you know what contaminants are present in your water you will have a better idea of what type of filtration system you require.
Aesthetic 6
- Chlorine – The primary disinfectant used in the USA and world-wide. A powerful oxidizer that is used to kill microbes such as bacteria, viruses, and cysts. Also changes the state of various in-organics (i.e. Iron & Hydrogen Sulfide) reducing taste, clarity, and odor problems. Reacts with all organic matter, producing countless combinations of byproducts (DBPs).
- Chloramines – The second most common disinfectant used in the USA, primarily for large municipal surface water supplies. Combines Chlorine with Ammonia to create a more stable and less reactive compound. Nearly as effective in killing microbes and oxidizing organics as Chlorine. Chloramines is used because it produces less DBPs than Chlorine; unfortunately it is also much more difficult to remove from water and early reports have shown that the byproducts it produces are far more toxic than those of its Chlorine counterpart.
- pH – The “balance” of water. Ideally slightly basic (7.0 – 7.8) but it is common for water to be acidic (less than 7). Acidic water can corrode copper piping and other plumbing fixtures and sometimes leads to green-tinted water.
- Corrected By: By increasing the alkalinity of water and filling buffering capacity, pH is often increased somewhat by All Wellness Filter systems. Severe imbalances should be neutralized with Calcite or Soda Ash.
- Sediment & Particulates – Common in surface water supplies or wells with damaged casings. Sediment (dirt) can cause clarity and taste issues.
- Iron & Manganese – Two common healthy minerals that when present in high levels give water a rusty color that deposits onto piping and fixtures.
- Corrected By: Levels under the MCL can be reduced by Wellness Kitchen and Wellness MG-III. Levels over the MCL require specialty Iron Filters or Oxidization (Chlorine, Ozone, Air-Intake)
- Hydrogen Sulfide – A colorless gas that results from the bacterial breakdown of organic matter in the absence or oxygen. Common in untreated water sources such as wells, causes a “rotten egg” smell.
- Corrected By: Levels under the MCL can be reduced by Wellness Kitchen and Wellness MG-III. Levels over the MCL require specialty Oxidization treatment. Ozone, Chlorine, and Air-Intake are the most common methods.
- Cysts – Microorganisms such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Toxoplasma which are resistant to oxidization and can sometimes contaminate municipal water supplies due to inadequate treatment or through cracks in the distribution pipe post-treatment that allow contaminated dirt into the water stream. Cysts can live inside the gut and cause severe illness and in some cases death.
- Reduced By: Wellness Kitchen, Partial reduction by Wellness H2.O Bottle
- Story: The most famous case of Cyst contamination in the USA occurred in Spring 1993 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “The Howard Avenue Water Purification Plant…was contaminated, and treated water showed turbidity levels well above normal…This abnormal condition at the plant lasted from March 23 through April 8, after which, the plant was shut down. Over the span of approximately two weeks, 403,000 of an estimated 1.61 million residents in the Milwaukee area (of which 880,000 were served by the malfunctioning treatment plant) became ill with the stomach cramps, fever, diarrhea and dehydration caused by the pathogen. Over 100 deaths were attributed to this outbreak, mostly among the elderly and immunocompromised people…” (Wikipedia Article)
- Virus – Considered one of the most common but least understood sources of waterborne illness, Viruses such as Adenovirus, Norovirus, Caronavirus, and Parvovirus are very difficult to treat on a municipal level and can pass through all but the tightest mechanical membranes.
- Bacteria – The primary reason we use disinfection methods such as Chlorine, bacteria are naturally occurring microorganisms that are present nearly everywhere on earth. A milliliter sample of fresh water typically contains 1 million bacterial cells. The majority of the bacteria present in water are healthy and not necessary to remove; however, there are types of bacteria that can be very dangerous to health, such as E-coli, Legionella, Salmonella, and Cholerae. All of these are easily killed by sufficient levels of Chlorine in the water, but when available Chlorine levels drop during distribution or where Chlorine is not present Bacteria can be introduced into the home.
Chemical 9
- Pharmaceuticals – As drugs such as Tylenol, Viagra, etc. are excreted into waste water, trace amounts are returning with the water to treatment plants, where they react with the treatment processes to create countless byproducts. Recent studies have found both the original compounds and the byproducts in the treated water of more than a dozen major municipalities across the USA. The health effects of these trace compounds are currently unknown, but of great concern to the public.
- Reduced By: Currently unknown, as contaminant testing is still in the early stages. If absorption proves effective, Wellness Kitchen should reduce.
- Story: The Associated Press recently reported the results of their investigation where various studies detected low levels of a variety of pharmaceutical drugs in 24 major U.S. cities’ water supplies. The report states these drugs consist of common over the counter drugs like Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen as well as a number of varieties of prescription drugs. To find out more about what this means to you…. Click Here.
- Bisphenol A (BPA) – An organic compound that is used in the production of polycarbonate, approximately 3 million tons are produced every year. Suspected of being hazardous to humans since the 1930s, concerns about the use of Bisphenol A in consumer products grabbed headlines in 2008 when several governments (most notably, Canada) issued reports questioning its safety, and some retailers pulled products made from it off their shelves. Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor: it is an estrogen receptor agonist, and such agonists can act like the body's own hormones, leading to similar physiological effects on the body. There is concern that long term low dose exposure to Bisphenol A may induce chronic toxicity in humans. Typically introduced into water through plastic piping or polycarbonate containers that are made with BPA.
- Asbestos – Heavily used from the late 19th century until 1980, Asbestos was initially called the "miracle material". It is now known to be highly toxic and has been banned in many countries. The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illnesses, including mesothelioma and asbestosis. It can occur naturally in ground water (referred to as NOA), but the primary health concern relates to synthetic Asbestos typically introduced through distribution pipes that were created when the material was popular.
- Radon – An alpha/beta emitter that is produced by the decay of radium. It is a very dangerous carcinogen but short-lived, with a half life of only 3.8 days. Water-borne Radon contamination is a problem in some areas, but generally less of a concern than air or soil Radon contamination.
- Volatile Organic Contaminant (VOC) – VOCs include Toluene, Xylene, TCE, PCE, Benzene, MTBE, Styrene and hundreds of other chemicals which are typically introduced into the water table through industrial contamination. They are extremely toxic in levels as low as 5 parts per billion (ppb).
- Trihalomethane (THM) – THMs are generated in water whenever Chlorine comes in contact with organic matter. Considered as DBPs (Disinfection By-Products), they are toxic and carcinogenic. Typically found in higher levels in surface water supplies (lakes and reservoirs), DBPs such as Trihalomethanes are the primary reason many major municipalities have switched from Chlorine to Chloramines, a more stable compound that produces less byproducts.
- Pesticides & Herbicides– Pesticides and Herbicides are chemicals used primarily in agriculture to control pests and plants. It is estimated that over 98% of pesticides and 95% of herbicides reach a destination other than their target species, including other species, food, water, air, and soil. The primary source of contamination in water is soil runoff from areas treated with the chemicals.
- PCBs – Polychlorinated Byphenols were used widely with electronics, pesticides, hydraulic fluids, sealants, paints, and other materials until they were banned in the 1970s due to the high toxicity of most PCB congeners and mixtures. PCBs are classified as persistent organic pollutants which bioaccumulate in animals. The primary causes of water contamination
- Methyl-tertiary-butylene-ether (MTBE) – A VOC that is derived from a gas additive that has been used since 1979 to help prevent engine “knocking”. Its use increased dramatically in 1992 with the passing of the US “Clean Air Act”. By 1995 some water supplies were registering high levels or the chemical and between 2000 and 2006 the additive was mostly eliminated from use due to concerns regarding the health effects of the levels of chemical being detected in public water supplies. MTBE can be tasted in water at concentrations as low as 5 – 15 ppb.
- Reduced By: Wellness Kitchen
- Story: In January 2000, Sixty Minutes, the investigative TV program, reported that as many as 100 million Americans were drinking water contaminated with MTBE, a gasoline additive that has been leaching into our water supplies since 1992. MTBE is believed to cause cancer in concentrations as low as 10 parts per billion and unfortunately local treatment plants cannot remove it as it is highly soluble in water.
Dissolved Solids - 6
- Healthy Minerals – With the exception of the heavy metals, most dissolved solids are naturally occurring healthy minerals that are considered essential to human life. These include Calcium, Potassium, Silica, Iron, Manganese, Copper, Sodium, Selenium, and others. When removed, water becomes aggressive and unstable until it dissolves enough minerals from its container, whether that is your home’s plumbing or your body.
- Fluoride – Introduced into water either naturally as Calcium Fluoride or through municipal fluoridation as hydrofluorosilic acid. Research over the last century favors the theory that a level of approximately 1ppm of fluoride in water is beneficial in reducing tooth decay. However, this theory is still hotly debated. Of greater concern is the source of fluoridation in the USA, hydrofluorosilic acid. This compound is a waste product of the phosphate mining industry that is diluted down and sold to municipalities. Along with Fluoride it contains low levels (<1%) of Lead and sometimes other heavy metals such as Arsenic.
- Reduced By: Reverse Osmosis
- Nitrates - Nitrates oxidize the iron atoms in hemoglobin from Ferrous Iron (2+) to Ferric Iron (3+), rendering it unable to carry oxygen. This condition is called methemoglobinemia and can lead to a lack of oxygen in tissues. Infants, in particular, are especially sensitive to methemoglobinemia as a result of nitrate exposure. This is most caused by high levels of nitrates in drinking water.
- Reduced By: Reverse Osmosis, Specialty Ion Exchange
- Arsenic – A heavy metal that is considered carcinogenic in levels as low as 10 ppb and lethal in higher doses. Arsenic is typically introduced into water through natural deposits. Although the problem exists in isolated areas across the country, the states with the largest concentration of Arsenic contamination are in the Southwestern USA.
- Reduced By: Specialty Carbon Blocks, Iron Oxide, Reverse Osmosis & Distillation
- Lead – A heavy metal that can impair neurological function, especially in infants, in levels as low as 15 ppb. Introduced into water through soil runoff contamination or natural deposits. Industrial contamination has been significantly reduced since the 1980s when several uses of the material were banned.
- Mercury – A heavy metal that comes from the erosion of natural deposits or discharge from refineries, factories, landfills, or croplands. Known to cause kidney damage.