Why Filtering Your Drinking Water Is Not Enough?
As the debate over the accessibility and cleanliness of drinking water continues to simmer, it is natural for you to want to abandon those deceptive bottled water companies and begin filtering your own personal water source. This step towards safeguarding your health seems liberating at first, but it is important to note that water filtration comes with its own set of pitfalls. While you may have spent a pretty penny on a state-of-the-art drinking water filtration system, that product may not be protecting you from all contaminants. Chlorine, for example, is particularly harmful to your health with frequent exposure, and can be absorbed through the skin, and breathed in as vapors in addition to being ingested orally (according to the Pacific Health Center). Imagine the amount of exposure to harmful substances children receive when taking baths! Fear not, however, for there is an answer to the problem of water contamination and it comes in the way of whole house water filters, but before you jump the gun and invest in any filtration system read the following information on water contaminants and you’ll be ready to tackle the problem head-on. Water Contaminants and Their Sources According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking water in this country comes from either ground or surface water. Surface water such as from lakes, rivers, streams and reservoirs are treated by public water systems to reduce the level of natural and man-made contaminants to meet the standards set forth by the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency. While the low levels of contaminants may not cause immediate health problems, over an extended period of time they can be toxic. Ground water sources are not always treated.
- Naturally Occurring Contaminants may come from acid rain or chemicals and minerals present in the environment such as radon, uranium and arsenic or microorganisms that produce pathogens, bacteria and viruses.
- Agricultural and Industrial practices have a tendency to introduce pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides, livestock waste and toxic chemicals into a region’s water source. Chlorine is often used to disinfect water, but can be very harmful through constant exposure.
- Sewage Overflow has become a serious problem to the growing population.