What's in your water?
This page reveals what is in your water, waterborne contaminants such as bacteria, micro plastics, virus, pesticides, metal, dirt and other things that our governments put there chlorine and fluoride.
What exactly is in the water you drink?
The vast majority of these are byproducts of human behaviour. Some of these chemicals are added by our governments with our health in mind, of course. However, as we are becoming more informed and conscious there is a serious debate as to the benefit vs harm that these chemicals actually cause.
However they got there, we say it’s time to take control and filter them out.
Agricultural chemicals: the most common baddie is Nitrate, which can cause methaemoglobinaemia, or blue-baby syndrome, in bottle-fed infants under 3 months of age
Weed killers and some Insecticides (particularly lead-arsenate sprays) are the main sources of arsenic contamination. This entering our water supply is the reason this millennium we have seen a twentyfold increase in the level of arsenic found in humans. Activated carbon has been proven to remove the 12 most common herbicides and the 14 most common pesticides including Nitrate, Chlordane, Chlordecone, Glyphosate, Heptachlor, and Lindane.
Microplastics: this is a recent phenomenon caused ny the gradual breaking down of plastics in our oceans, these tiny pieces of plastic become part of our drinks water, a good quality filter can stop these in their tracks. Before they enter your body.
BPA's: The bad stuff in plastics - Did you know that 92% of US citizens over 6 years old were found to test positive for BPA?
Endocrine Disruptors: These are found in many everyday products, including some plastic bottles and containers, liners of metal food cans, detergents, flame retardants, food, toys, cosmetics, and pesticides. These should not be ingested And they may be associated with a range of adverse reproductive health effects, including sperm count decline, hypospadias and cryptorchidism, and cancer of the breast and testes
PFA’s: Synthetic chemical found in fire fighting foam and is highly toxic to humans.
PCB's : Are chemicals used for insulation, machinery, electronics, paint and fluorescent lights. Many industries and manufacturing units dump it in the water. PCBs cause a major problem in immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems.
Dioxins: produced as a byproduct in herbicide production and paper bleaching.
Cryptosporidium Cryptosporidia: Are tiny parasitic animals. Some species cause the diarrhoeal disease cryptosporidiosis in humans. They produce robust spores, called oocysts, which endure for long periods in the environment, including in water. They are excreted by their host animals and therefore faeces of cattle, sheep and other animals, as well as human sewage are the main sources of cryptosporidium contamination in private water supplies. Chlorination doesn't always remove them, but good filtration will.
Lead: Lead enters our water supply normally from the pipework. When lead enters the body, it can cause damage to the central nervous system as well as cause developmental harm (especially in children and infants), neurological and kidney damage. Once lead has entered the body it is released very slowly, which means ongoing exposure will cause a build up of lead in the body.
Chlorine: which causes DBP’s (Disinfectant Bi-Products.) These have been associated with cancers of the bladder, colon and rectum and adverse birth outcomes such as spontaneous abortion. One type in particular called Trihalomethanes - at elevated levels, THMs have been associated with negative health effects such as cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes.
Pharmaceuticals: Hormones: Prednisone, Prednisolone, Trogesterone, testosterone and Cortisol. what do we need to say here, this has become the new 'second hand smoke'. Would you take an of these if you didn’t need to? So don’t.
Arsenic: Yes arsenic. Besides cancer of the skin, lung and bladder and probably liver, arsenic is responsible for a range of adverse effects, including hyperkeratosis and peripheral vascular disease.
Flouride: Waterborne fluoride is another major cause of morbidity in many parts of the world, higher intakes result in skeletal fluorosis, a condition arising from increasing bone density and which can eventually lead to fractures and crippling skeletal deformity.
EColi: This stands for Escherichia Coliform bacteria, which normally live in the intestines of humans and animals. one particular strain called O157 can cause severe kidney damage and diarrhea and in some cases renal failure and death. Infection by the O157 strain are regarded as the most dangerous causes of food poisoning in the UK. The UK maximum contaminant level for Coliform bacteria is zero*.
Copper: normally occurring from pipework. Short term exposure above the recommended levels can cause gastrointestinal problems such as nausea and vomiting. Long term exposure can cause liver or kidney damage.
Perhaps it's time to get a good water filter.