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Water
Contamination
There have been a
half-million new chemicals developed since 1965
alone. |
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Most of these organic pollutants are modern
hydrocarbon chemicals such as plastic and pesticides.
Some are no biodegradable. Most are soluble in water, and
thousands are known to be toxic.
In 1991, the U.S. Congressional Research Service
revealed that 10% of the 1.4 million underground gasoline
storage thanks in the U.S. are currently leaking. There are
also an estimated 16,000 municipal landfills and 181,000
industrial waste sites in the United States that leech
contaminants into our water supplies. Agricultural pesticides
and highway de-icing chemicals are other contaminants.
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Contamination in the distribution
system |
| Water can
become contaminated during it's journey from treatment plant
to home. Lead, asbestos and cement pipes used in
municipal water distribution systems can allow harmful
substances to leech into drinking water. |
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Contamination at
home |
| Water can become contaminated right
at home. Some homes have plumbing systems which use lead based
solder to join copper pipes. Both can allow lead to leech into
your drinking water. |
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MUNICIPAL
WATER |
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Chlorine, used by municipalities to disinfect water
supplies, can react with naturally occurring organic
materials in water. For example, decayed leaves can create
trichlorethanes, a suspected cancer - causing chemical.
Dr, Joseph M. Price, MD in his book "Coronaries
/Cholesterol /Chlorine", wrote that the cause of
arteriosclerosis, resulting heart attack, and strokes is none
other than the chlorine in our drinking water.
A recent study by the US Council on
Environmental Quality has established a definite link in the
chlorination of water and cancer. One of the studies showed
that the cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water
is 93% higher than among those who live where the water is not
chlorinated.
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COMMON WATER
QUALITY CONCERNS |
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| Bad
tastes and odors |
| These are caused by chlorine,
commonly used by municipalities to disinfect the water supply.
They are also caused by tea-like extracts of dead leaves, and
by metals such as iron and copper. |
| Asbestos |
| It occurs naturally
in rock, and is linked to several types of
cancer. |
| Bacteria and viruses |
| They can cause
infectious diseases such as typhoid fever and hepatitis. A
chemist in a Texas university examined a glass of water under
a high powered microscope. He found tiny bits of paper which
turned out to be toilet paper, and 85% of the water contained
blood- worms and hair shavings! |
| Arsenic |
| This can cause damage to the
kidneys, liver, and nervous system. It can also cause cancer.
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| Heavy metals |
| High levels of cadmium, mercury and
lead in drinking water can cause nerve damage, mental
retardation, birth defects and cancer. |
| Lead |
| It is estimated that 40 million
Americans currently drink water containing more than the limit
set by the EPA. Lead poisoning can cause mental retardation
and birth defects. |
| Synthetic organic chemicals |
| One example is pesticides, which
are carried into groundwater by rain. They can cause
respiratory and nerve disorders |
| Trichlorethanes (THM's) |
| These are formed when chlorine
reacts with organic matter in water, such as from decaying
leaves. They can cause cancer. |
| Volatile organic chemicals |
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Example of these are gasoline, solvents, and industrial
cleaners. They can cause many illnesses including liver cancer
and leukemia.
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