Contaminated Drinking Water: The Dangers to Your Total Wellness

The EWG, Environmental Working Group, analyzed more than 22 million tap water quality tests from around the U.S. and found 260 pollutants in the public water supply.

Contamination of Drinking Water

The sources of contamination included:

• old lead pipes

• industrial pollution leaching into the ground water

• TTHM, trihalomethanes, a by-product of chlorine combined with organic matter found in water

• pharmaceutical drugs that cannot be removed by sewage treatment plants including antibiotics, antidepressants. chemotherapy, birth control, pain killers etc.

These chemicals result in the production of free radicals. All kinds of health problems can result from exposure to this contaminated drinking water including:

• mutated cells

• heavy metal toxicity

• drug reactions and antibiotic resistance

• birth defects

• reproductive disorders

According to the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality: "Compromised immune systems among people who drink chlorinated water is 93% higher when compared to those who drink unchlorinated water".

Are you drinking bottled water to avoid this problem thinking it is a better option?

When the NRDC, Natural Resources Defense Council, independently tested 103 brands of bottled water, the results were disappointing:

• 25 to 40% of the water tested was tap water

• 22% of the bottled water had more contaminants than allowed by state limits

Avoiding Contaminated Drinking Water

What should you do to avoid drinking water pollution?

• Invest in a drinking water filter that does not remove the healthy minerals

• Buy a portable water bottle that is able to remove some of the toxic chemicals. Keep in mind the portable devices are not as effective as the home units. When possible, bring your own water from home.

• If you are left with no other option, buy spring bottled water rather than purified water. It is best if it has been refrigerated to avoid the growth of bacteria.

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