Many Man-Made Chemicals Detected in Drinking Water Supplies

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http://www.naturalnews.com/025413.html

 

For most of us who live in developed nations, the taps in our homes bring

potable water right to our cups. But if you or your family has the habit of

drinking water direct from the tap without additional filtering, then there is

mounting evidence to make you reconsider such a routine. In a United States

Geological Survey (USGS) study conducted last year, it was revealed that low

levels of certain man-made chemicals remain in drinking water supplies even

after the necessary treatment processes.

Details and Findings of Study

For the study, water samples were examined for the presence of about 260

commonly used chemicals. To obtain a nationally representative sample of water

systems across the US, water from nine sites in Colorado, Georgia, Indiana,

land, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon and Texas were tested.

Some 130 different chemicals, which include pesticides, gasoline hydrocarbons,

household-use products and solvents, were found in rivers and streams before

cleanup at public water treatment plants.

The assumption many of us would have is that the water treatment process would

remove most, if not all, of these chemicals. That, however, as found by the

study, is quite far from the truth, as about two out of every three of the 130

chemicals remained in the water post-treatment. According to the study team,

many of these substances were concentrated at levels roughly equal to one

thimble of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Impact on Human Health

The study report said that most of the detected concentrations of the various

chemicals were below levels which would harm humans. But that is hardly a

reassuring assertion, considering that these chemicals have not been proven to

be safe, but are instead assumed to be not that dangerous due to lack of

information.

" We are concerned that they have been detected, but at this point there is

insufficient information to really judge anything. Because there are no

standards set for most of the compounds, there isn`t a basis for whether there

is a health effect, " said Tom Schrempp, director of production at Water District

No. 1 of County.

" Most of the man-made chemicals assessed in the USGS study are unregulated in

drinking water and not required to be monitored or removed, " Tom us,

general manager of the Washington, D.C., Aqueduct, which was one of the water

systems assessed in the study, also said.

The fact that many of these manufactured chemicals are not even regulated by

authorities should be raising alarm bells in the consumer, in particular because

many things which were once assumed to be safe were one day shown to have

undesirable effects. The example of E. coli, a type of bacteria, was raised by

Ken Midkiff, a water-quality expert. According to him, E. coli in water was not

regulated before 1980. " What is deemed as harmless today may be viewed as toxic

in the future, " he said.

And the greater danger lies in the potential synergistic effects, but in a

negative sense, that these chemicals could have. " The biggest concern is the

stew effect. Trace amounts of this mixed with trace amounts of that can equal

what? We don`t know, " said Dye, director of Sierra Club`s Water Sentinel

program. This is something which the study report noted, and further research is

definitely necessary.

What We Can Do

In the meantime, do you want to continue taking chances? If you have not already

done so, installing a water filter in your home, or getting a water distiller,

would be a great and possibly essential idea. Many agree that distilled water

and reverse osmosis (RO) water are two of the best types of pure water drinking.

In addition, one more lesson for us is the environmental impact we can have when

we dump chemicals down drains and toilets. Water treatment does not seem to be

able to remove all of these substances, and many of them linger in the

environment, for goodness knows how long.

" This is really a learning moment for folks. We all need to work harder on

what`s going into wastewater, because these things are persistent in the

environment, " said Dye.

Possible measure we can take? Start using all-natural soaps, shampoos,

detergents and other agents in place of the toxic commercial ones which most

people use. Doing so will not only safeguard our wellbeing, but the health of

Mother Earth too.

Source

Chemical traces left in treated water, study finds

(www.kansascity.com/news/local/story...) (article no longer available; cached

version from Google used)

About the author

Reuben Chow has a keen interest in the area of natural health and healing and

carries out regular research on the topic. His website, All 4 Natural Health,

offers a basic guide on natural health information. It details simple, effective

and natural ways, such as the use of nutrition, various herbs, herb remedies,

supplements and other natural remedies, to deal with various health conditions

as well as to attain good health.

Love, Gabby. :0)

http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

 

" I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had

some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin. " ~ Jerry Newport