by Michael W. RobbinsDISCOVER Vol. 24 No. 1 (January 2003)
Polluted water is nothing new in the United States. We have lived through flaming rivers and caustic creeks that could take the hide off a hound. For decades, however, efforts to safeguard drinking water were hampered because no one had an accurate sense of the full range of contaminants in the water supply, nor of the geographic extent of the pollution. This year two separate research teams unveiled sophisticated new tools to find out exactly what chemical dangers are lurking in freshwater streams.
"Research in Europe in the 1990s showed that pharmaceuticals were turning up in the water," says Dana Kolpin, leader of a U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Division research team that developed five new analytic methods for measuring water contaminants. "Our big effort was to develop methods to measure very small amounts of organic chemicals.
Countertop WaterSystemWES-10
" The research team fanned out across 30 states nationwide and conducted two years of sampling from 139 streams. They were chosen, says Kolpin, on the basis of their location downstream from "intense urbanization and livestock production." In a study published in the March 15 Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, Kolpin and his colleagues reported they looked for 95 different contaminants, such as antibiotics, steroids, hormones, antioxidants, plasticizers, and various solvents. They found 82 of them. Nearly 80 percent of the streams showed one or more of the contaminants. The median stream contained seven. Even the good news—that the most frequently detected contaminants like fecal steroids, cholesterol, insect repellent, caffeine, disinfectant, fire retardant, and detergents were found in generally low concentrations—had to be qualified. Many of those compounds have no guidelines for safe amounts, and little is known about the effects of chronic exposure or the interactive effects of compounds that have been detected together.
In a related Environmental Protection Agency study that is still in progress, a team of scientists at the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering is using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to detect the presence of various anticonvulsants and anticancer drugs in drinking water. Led by Lynn Roberts and Ed Bouwer, the researchers track samples at sewage-treatment facilities in Massachusetts and Maryland to determine whether and in what quantities pharmaceuticals are getting through the waste-treatment plants and the extent to which they may be accumulating in coastal waters.
The goal of both research teams is to provide a baseline of what organic compounds are in the water, in what quantities, and how they are getting there—key steps toward ensuring that the water we drink isn't killing us.
- Michael W. Robbins
The Need For Pure Clean Water
Pure, clean water, we can't live without it. It plays a role in most every function that takes place in the body. During exercise, water is required for perspiration, which aids the body in temperature regulation. The digestion and elimination systems could not function without water. As the body ingests foods, water contributes in the breakdown and absorption of nutrients and is a key element in the removal of waste out the elimination system. Water also benefits connective tissue and the body's organs by providing a protective cushion, minimizing potential risk of injury. Have a headache? Before reaching for an aspirin try consuming a few tall glasses of pure water. Considering the brain is approximately 75% water even mild dehydration can cause an occasional headache or dizziness.
The average adult body is comprised of 60% - 70% water and requires an average of eighty ounces (80oz.) to function properly each day.
Not all water is created equal:
Distilled Water vs. Filtered, Tap and Bottled
The question should not be whether or not to drink water, but what water should you drink? At home, you can get water straight from the tap, pay for water delivery or employ a host of filtration/purification options to remove the residual chemicals and contaminants that can result from municipal water systems. When traveling, walk into any convenience store and you will be faced with the choice of purchasing "drinking water," "spring water," "ozonated water," purified water," along with the many flavored, fizzy and nutritionally enhanced options.
The more you know, the clearer it becomes that distilled water is the best choice for clean, pure water.
Comparing Water Sources
Treated to meet government set safety standards. Municipalities and private water utilities commonly use fluoride, chlorine and other additives to disinfect or "enhance" tap water. Initial sources can vary depending on where you live. Some local governments have approved the process of purifying sewage water to meet demands of growing populations.
The average adult body is comprised of 60% - 70% water and requires an average of eighty ounces (80oz.) to function properly each day
Concerns:
Chemical additives can:
Be harmful for infants (teeth mottling)
Have a role in the development of Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOC's)
Cause serious if not fatal illness
EPA safety recommendations are not followed uniformly by all cities/states
Governmental drinking water safety reports are based on annual averages and do not demonstrate accurate accounts for spikes in contamination levels.
Bottled Water
The source, taste, and treatment methods used are some of the principle differences between bottled water and tap water. Some bottled water producers use additional methods to improve water quality from that of tap water by employing ozone or ultraviolet disinfection, while a select few use purification methods. Only bottled water that has been treated by distillation, reverse osmosis, or other suitable processes and meets the definition of "purified water" in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia can be labeled as "purified water."
FDA labeling classifications for bottled water:
Artesian well water. Water from a well that taps an aquifer--layers of porous rock, sand and earth that contain water--which is under pressure from surrounding upper layers of rock or clay.
Mineral water. Water from an underground source that contains at least 250 parts-per-million total dissolved solids. Minerals and trace elements must come from the source of the underground water. They cannot be added later.
Spring water. Derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the earth's surface. Spring water must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground formation feeding the spring. If some external force is used to collect the water through a borehole, the water must have the same composition and quality as the water that naturally flows to the surface.
Well water. Water from a hole bored or drilled into the ground, which taps into an aquifer.
Concerns:The EPA states
An estimated 25% - 40% of bottled water comes from the tap.
Some of the polycarbonate bottles used in home delivery jugs can leave trace amounts of bisphenol A, an endocrine disrupter in the water.
Some bottled water is treated less then tap water or not treated at all.
Many choices of bottled water may not be appropriate for pregnant women, individuals with compromised immune systems and infants.
Despite the claims of some bottlers, there is no guarantee that artesian waters are any cleaner than ground water from an unconfined aquifer.
Tapped Out on Pure Water
Tap water, it is used for cooking, ice cubes, lemonade in the summer, and even used to make baby formula with rarely ever a concern for safety. Few people realize, however, that trihalomethanes, asbestos, cyanide, arsenic, and nitrates are just a sampling of the toxic poisons that can be commonly found in tap water. Many of the allowable toxins can cause severe health problems. Even products that are added to our water supplies for our "health benefit" such as fluoride can contribute to mottled teeth in children.
The sources of the contaminants found in tap water are varied. Water that is pure, for example, can pick up trihalomethanes (a lethal toxin that is created when disinfectants used by municipalities come in contact with organic matter such as leaves in the pipes or water supply) asbestos, or lead from the pipes leading to the tap. Nature itself lends a hand in contaminating our water supplies. Heavy rains and flooding often result in sewer runoffs or pesticide and chemical contamination from farming. Even MTBE, the previously federally mandated gasoline additive, has damaged our nations water supply.
Over time, the consumption of tainted drinking water can damage the liver, kidneys, cause developmental problems in children, and in some cases, increase the risk of cancer. Even our wildlife is being affected. Apparent growth abnormalities that have been documented, prompted scientists at Tulane University in conjunction with the EPA to evaluate the risk rates of endocrine disruption (hormone imbalances) that have resulted in many of the species that live in and around our nation's waterways.
Over time, the consumption of tainted drinking water can damage the liver, kidneys, cause developmental problems in children, and in some cases, increase the risk of cancer. Even our wildlife is being affected. Apparent growth abnormalities that have been documented,prompted scientists at Tulane University in conjunction with the EPA to evaluate the risk rates of endocrine disruption (hormone imbalances) that have resulted in many of the species that live in and around our nation's waterways.
In much of the U.S., the high rate of contamination--or the sheer lack of water--has municipalities scrambling for answers. Unfortunately, the solution many municipalities are choosing is to process sewage water for re-use, delivering it back to your tap. It sounds unbelievable, but in many cases your water may be going from the toilet to the tap! As if reconstituting sewage for use in the home isn't bad enough, the disinfectants commonly used by municipalities to purify our water supply can often provide some of the largest health concerns.
Individuals and families concerned with the safety of their drinking water do have options. Hire a state certified laboratory to test your tap water for a variety of contaminants to determine the level of risk. For do-it-yourselfers there are a variety of quality home testing units that can accurately determine the presence of chemicals and or heavy metals. If high traces of lead are present, and you own or live in an older home, it may be the piping, which should be upgraded to current safety standards.
No matter how well intended, local and state municipalities cannot control all the variables that are involved in delivering pure water to your tap. Therefore, regardless of where you live, you will certainly benefit by taking steps to improve your in-home water quality. To ensure the highest quality water for drinking, consider purchasing a water distiller. Distilled water is 99% pure water that has been purified without the use of chemicals and is virtually free of heavy metals, organic matter, bacteria, and viruses.
Symmetry’s new Countertop Water Enhancement System is the best way ever for you to enjoy great-tasting, clean water.
Uses a multi-stage filtration process, featuring granular activated carbon, ATS lead-reduction media and polymetic mesh to remove contaminants and sediments from drinking water, while reducing unpleasant tastes and odors
Provides clean water for just pennies a gallon - far less than bottled water or other home systems!
Built-in bypass valve allows you to switch between filtered and unfiltered water
Produces delicious, refreshing, clean drinking and cooking water for your family
Rated for 5,000 gallons (although in order to get certification it had to be effective for at least twice the amount!)
Reduces levels of chlorine, lead and Lindane (a common pesticide) by more than 90%, and significantly reduces MTBE
Easy to install to kitchen faucet
Constructed of FDA-compliant materials, including 100% recyclable ABS food-grade plastics, assembled via ultrasonic welding without potentially toxic glues or adhesives
Certified by Underwriter Laboratories, Inc. and the Water Quality Association
Delivers clean water to a retail customer at a cost of just 5.5¢ per gallon (at 5,000 gallons) to as low as 2.7¢ per gallon (at 10,000 gallons)!
Q's and A's
Q: If the countertop system is rated at 5,000 gallons, how do I know when the filter should be replaced? What criteria was used to determine these capacities? Is a flow meter available?
A: The countertop was certified at 5,000 gallons. The testing protocol required units making health claims to successfully perform to 200% of their rated capacity. In other words, we tested to 10,000 gallons to get a 5,000 gallon claim. Totalizing flow meters, which show the number of gallons processed, are very expensive, so instead we recommend that the entire WES-10 unit be replaced every 3 to 5 years.
Q: Does the countertop system filter mercury?
A: The Countertop System WES-10 is effective at reducing levels of mercury and cadmium as well as lead. This is due to their similarity with regards to the periodic table.
