Posted on 2 January, 2012
There is nothing like water especially when you are in the middle of the Sahara Desert with the sun piercing right through you. Now that is an extreme situation but nonetheless, water is important not only for quenching thirst but also helps in flushing toxins out of your body. Thus it helps to keep your body healthy and doctors recommend that you should have at least 7-8 glasses of water everyday. The strange fact is that 97% of earth's water is salty and only 1% is drinkable. The drinking water comes from the existing water sources like streams and rivers, which have existed for millions of years and are under threat due to global warming. The water is then passed through different types of treatment plants and then sent to your home through the Public Water System. There are around 161,000 PWS in the United States. The water supply is tested based on EPA's pollution specific minimum testing schedules. If any kind of problem is detected then water is sent for retesting. But in spite of all the testing and the processes that go behind making the tap water safe for drinking, contaminants have somehow found their way through. The fatal toxins that have been found in tap water include Chlorine. Chlorine is most commonly found because civic agencies add chlorine to the tap water to treat it. Chlorine can destroy harmful bacteria but at the same time, it can cause several other health problems. Some tests conducted by various civic bodies have found that there have been times when the tap water had too much of chlorine. According to EPA guidelines, only 4ppm (parts per million) of Chlorine is permissible in tap water. Too much of Chlorine exposure can cause various symptoms like chest problems, blurred vision, burning pain in the eyes, breathing problems and many more. Chlorine can also cause cancer of the bladder, pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer. It can also cause various birth defects in new born babies. Another fatal contaminant is lead, which can cause severe kidney problems in adults apart from high blood pressure. Infants are prone to mental problems and memory loss caused by lead. The other common toxins in tap water are nitrate and arsenic. Nitrate is responsible for causing the blue baby syndrome. It has a devastating effect because it does not let hemoglobin to carry oxygen, which can lead to death. Arsenic on the other hand is considered to be a slow poison, which taken on a daily basis can cause death and skin cancer among many other illnesses. Organic chemicals like Acrylamide, Alachlor, Atrazine, Benzopyrene and other chemicals increase the risk of cancer. The best way and the only way to fight it are by installing water filter systems in your home. It is the only way to take care of a possible health risk. In a world where the rate of contamination is increasing with industrial pollution, the underground water, and even natural springs are becoming more polluted than ever. Tap water takes lives but water from the water filter systems will give life! |
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