What does tap water contain? Depending on your location It can contain many things, the problem is we are a chemical driven society. We have produced chemicals to take the drudgery out of our everyday lives by making cleaning easier, we use them protect our plants and agriculture. Most people never give a second thought to the thousand and one everyday uses of chemicals.
In addition to these chemicals we also have pharmaceuticals,industrial pollutants and radioactive materials. All these contaminants have the potential to find their way into our tap water and pose a potential threat to everyday users. According to the authorities they are often present in drinking water at such a low levels that they do not pose a health risk. This is a short term view. Has anyone considered the risks drinking this tap water over a long period of time?
Chlorine is a good disinfectant. Once added to the water at the treatment plant it continues to kill bacteria all the way up to your tap. However, chlorinated disinfectants react with organic matter present in the water and form what is called disinfection by-products. These can cause health problems in the central nervous system, liver or kidneys. Also the cancer risk increases.
Some industrial processes and household consumer products can contain chemicals which go by the name of chlorinated solvents. In 2006 samples of drinking water were analyzed in 12 states, ten percent were found to contain trace amounts of chlorinated solvents. Although chlorine works well up to a point it does not destroy all the pollutants present in the water.
Traces of lead in tap water usually come from household plumbing and not from your water supply. The lead can come from your water pipes if they are copper soldered with lead. According to the EPA estimates, 10 to 20 percent of your exposure to lead comes from polluted drinking water. People at the greatest risk are young children and pregnant women. Lead in the human body damages the brain, nervous system and kidneys.
Fortunately for us many of the waterborne diseases so prevalent a few years ago have been almost completely eradicated These include dysentery, typhoid, and cholera, however we should not get too complacent. There are some waterborne bacteria that are still very active, Legionella, nontyphoid and Salmonella to name a few. Legionella, responsible for a large number of illnesses every year flourishes in warm water.
The answer to the question "what does tap water contain" has shown us that it can contain many things, none of which are good for us. Because of this many people have switched to bottled water under the impression it is somehow safer. The quality standards for bottled and tap water are almost identical. Bottled water is much more expensive both to buy and produce. Where do all the empty bottles go? Only about 16% get recycled, the rest end up in the nearest landfill.
Which leaves us in a bit of a quandary, we don't really want to continue to drink tap water . If we switch to bottled water it's going to get expensive very quickly. Fortunately there is an alternative
A good water purifier is the best solution for this problem. There are plenty of water purifiers available, there are models which will deal with these contaminants very effectively. According to experts, water filters based on multi stage filtration technology would be a good choice as they can get rid of almost all these types of contaminants and give you pure water to drink.
They are not that expensive, think of the expenditure as insurance to protect your family's health.
Autor: Derek Reeve
Derek Reeve runs an informational website that provides details of the best home water purifiers. If you're serious about improving the quality of water you use visit water purification systems for home to find the most effective, efficient and affordable products available.
Added: January 10, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
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