Chlorine, Fluoride, Arsenic, Parasites...
Do any of these sound familiar? These among many others are some of the most
common contaminants found in drinking water today. So, what do these
contaminants have to do with you? Well let’s explore the health defects that
are associated with each.
We will start with
a very popular one, Chlorine…
What is chlorine?
Chlorine is a very potent yellow-greenish gas. The chemical holds a reputation
for being one of the most effective agents in water decontamination.
Chlorine kills off
a plethora of bacteria found in drinking water today. Studies have indicated
that the use of chlorine in drinking water has been extremely effective in
minimizing the risk of fatal infections. Although chlorine has a
legitimate track record for killing deadly bacteria, it too is associated with
some health concerns. Naturally water contains organic matter. When chlorine
comes in contact with organic matter, it can form what is known as chloramines.
Chloramines have been known to cause respiratory complication, kidney
problem, as well as birth defects. The risk of cancer is also much higher for
people who drink chlorinated water regularly compared to those who do not.
Now let's explore a contaminant you often hear about during a dentist visit, Fluoride...
Fluoride is a
compound added to drinking water for the sole purpose of maintaining dental
health. It aids in the reduction of tooth decay in both children and adults.
although there are regulations put in place for how much fluoride is
added to drinking water, there is no way of regulating how
much fluoride a person actually consumes on the receiving end of the
water. Exposure to elevated levels of fluoride is said to be the
cause of several disruptions with brain function. It also has an effect
of your bones, causing them to become brittle over time. There are plenty of
other sources other than drinking water that people can
receive fluoride from. Adding it to water does not serve
much of a benefit and seems to do more harm than good...just an observation of
mine.
Next is Arsenic...
People are
becoming more and more aware of the presence of arsenic in drinking water. Arsenic
is an extremely harmful contaminant in drinking water. Arsenic is a known
carcinogen and can cause several types of cancer such as, skin and prostate
cancer.
Finally we have
these little critters called Parasites...
Parasites are
organisms that live off of other organisms. Two of the most common found
in drinking water are Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
Both of these parasites cause diseases in the intestinal tract. The last thing you want to do is have these little parasites running rampant inside of you and
multiplying. There are millions of contracted illnesses in this country alone
that are attributed to the exposure of these two parasites.
