The Dangers of Lead in Drinking Water
Years ago parents were shaken by a report that stated the lead paint used in their children’s bedrooms was a health hazard. Though it was outlawed and removed from most homes,lead remains a serious health concern. In fact,the Environmental Protection Agency stated,“Lead is the number-one environmental health threat to our children.”
Lead is one of the three most serious heavy metal contaminations we face. The other two are cadmium,and mercury. Of a lesser hazard are aluminum and beryllium. These heavy metals have no known biological function but can be detrimental to health,especially causing long range health issues. Lead can be ingested through car exhaust,cigarette smoke,some colored inks,cosmetics,glass production,hair dyes,lead-glazed earthenware,pottery,metal polish,and a host of other ways.
One major way of ingesting these poisons is through drinking water. Old houses might still have lead pipes. Though copper replaced lead a long time ago,not all houses have been upgraded. Old well casings and storage tanks might also contain lead. City water is fed by wells or rivers and they inevitably contain some level of lead. The author checked his own city water system and found the level of lead in the water he receives is 2.5 parts per billion. Levels as high as 12 ppb are still within the limits. However,the last lead test on the water was done two years before the report was issued.
To add concern to the possibility of lead poisoning in city water,consider this. The Washington Post reported that,upon examining 65 of the 3,000 largest utilities,they found that cities such as Providence,R.I.,New York City,Philadelphia,Boston,and Portland,Maine,are “manipulating the results of tests used to detect lead in water,violating federal law and putting millions of Americans at risk.” Further,in excess of 250 major cities currently exceed the EPA’s lead standards. Many of them have been “deceptive,or even fraudulent,in their reporting of the problems.”
Though lead has no known advantage to the body,it does cause known problems. “Each year in the U.S.,lead in drinking water contributes to 480,000 cases of learning disorders in children and 560,000 cases of hypertension in adult males.”We cannot totally rid ourselves of ingesting lead,but we can minimize the problem as much as possible.
The effect of lead in the human body is frightening. Some of the problems,in alphabetical order are myelopathy (spinal cord pathology),nausea,nephritis,nightmares,numbness,Parkinson’s disease,peripheral neuropathies,psychosis,psychomotor dysfunction,pyorrhea,renal dysfunction,restlessness,retardation,schizophrenia,seizures,sterility,stillbirths,sudden infant death syndrome,tingling,tooth decay,vertigo,and unintentional weight loss.
The list continues. In summary,the leading areas of concern are kidney problems and nervous system damage. As you can see,these are not the only problems lead causes,but they are certainly a legitimate concern.
Of course you are wondering,what do we do about it? How can we protect our children from the crippling effects of lead poisoning? Besides the obvious precautions of checking your house for lead paint and your water system for lead pipes,another precaution is effective- filter your drinking and cooking water. A good activated carbon filter like the Black Berkey or their shower filter will remove 95% of the lead that is about to be drunk. That one simple precaution can certainly go a long way in giving a parent peace of mind.
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has anybody heard of or dealt with hairloss because of chlorine or hard water,?
any solutions? The aquasana shower filter seems to make the hair softer,but does’nt seem to stop the hair loss. Is there anything else that can be done?
They have special shampoos for swimmers or you could wash and style less often. When I had a problem with hair loss due to other sources I washed my hair less and I stopped blow drying and my hair is so full.
ShowerHead Ionisiertes Wasser Alkaline Wasser. More Infos at http://showerhead.smarald.com
Shower Water Filters –House Water Filters
Shower water filters are an essential component to any complete home water filtration system. A shower water filter allows you to enjoy a warm and relaxing shower,without the potential risk of exposure to harmful elements found in standard tap water. Chlorine is one of the biggest problems found in normal tap water. If your body is continually exposed to chlorine during a shower,it can lead to problems such as dry skin,irritated eyes or color distortion of the hair. This is due to the fact that chlorine strips the natural protective oils from the skin and hair,which leads to the excess dryness. If the chlorine is filtered out of the water,the skin and hair will greatly benefit. Removing chlorine can also be beneficial for individuals suffering from asthma and allergy sufferers,as inhalation of chlorine vapors can complicate those conditions. Showering with unfiltered tap water can be compared to spending ten to twenty minutes in an extremely chlorinated pool everyday. The most well-known shower water filter is the Aquasana Shower Filter,which retails for sixty to eighty dollars,depending on where it is purchased.
Shower waters filters can be easily installed in a few minutes. Once the water filter is properly installed,it provides healthy,chemical free water for showering. The best feature of the shower filter is its efficiency in removing chlorine from the water. It also greatly reduces harmful VOCs,which are the same harmful substances found in paints and pesticides. The filter also enhances the pH balance,which creates an overall healthier showering environment.
Most shower filters have an average life span of six months or ten thousand gallons. The filter can handle operating temperatures of 115 degrees,which is more than ample,as most average shower temperatures are 100 degrees. The filter fits well on the head of the shower. Most filters use two stages to purify the tap water. The first stage of the filter system removes all chlorine and improves the pH balance. The shower filter system brings the pH of the water to 7.5. This is accomplished by using a natural copper and zinc mineral media,which is called KDF-55D. KDF-55D removes any acidic components in the water,while retaining helpful trace minerals. The second stage of the filtering process employs a carbonized coconut shell media,which is responsible for the task of removing any synthetic chemicals and VOCs.
Most shower filters come with an adjustable pressure shower head which prevents any loss of water pressure. The filter systems are also compatible with most standard shower heads and hand held shower heads. In addition to providing health benefits,shower water filters also remove limestone,marble and other hard metals from the tap water. This helps to prevent scaling and hard water deposits in the shower or bathtub.
About the Author
Mike Tracy writes guides and reviews for Water Filters at Blueble.com. For more information about House Water Filters please visit http://WaterFilters.Blueble.com and Buy Shower Water Filters Online.
ShowerHead Ionisiertes Wasser Alkaline Wasser. More Infos at http://showerhead.smarald.com
