Let’s face it: our tap water is not clean. There are nearly 15,000 water treatment plants in America alone. Those plants clean our water to fit the government mandates that have been in our country for well over 20 years. However, our water is not clean. Just because it passes the federal drinking water standards does not mean that the water is safe. In order to know that your water is safe, you need to buy a water filter. But what do water filters remove?
These five toxins are reported in all 50 states:
- Arsenic
- Volatile Organic Compounds
- Lead
- Copper
- Nitrate
While there are more toxins that appear in all 50 states, these five can have some of the worst health effects.
What Is in Our Water
The current water standard allows for a varying amount of more than 160 contaminants and over 250 chemicals to legally be allowed in our drinking water. In a glass of tap water, you could be ingesting industrial and agricultural contaminants that are traced to cancer, brain and nervous system disruptions, growth and development issues in a fetus, fertility problems and/or hormone disruption. While we offer a free water check, it is important for you to know what these contaminants are, and how they could be affecting your family.
What Do Water Filters Remove?
1. Arsenic
Arsenic is a powerful carcinogen (cancer-causing) and common contaminant found in drinking water. It is a natural component in rocks and sediments, which could cause groundwater contamination, leading to traces in your tap water. Arsenic is also present in soil in areas that have mining, ore-smelting and industrial uses. Every year, arsenic causes thousands of cases of cancer. It can also lead to liver disease, coma, and in the most severe cases, death.
2. Carcinogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s)
Some of these compounds include benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethylene and other trihalomethanes. All of these compounds can cause various forms of cancer within the body after being ingested through tap water or through the body’s absorption from showers or washing hands. Also, VOCs can cause ear, nose and throat irritation, disrupt the nervous system and cause nausea.
3. Lead
Lead in water was largely put in the news after the Flint water crisis. In 2014, high levels of lead poisoned an entire town in Flint, Michigan. The city’s aging pipes allowed high levels of lead to infiltrate the town’s tap water. Exposure to lead as a child can lead to permanent impairment on behavior and concentration. As of 2020, Flint still does not have clean water. What happened in Flint is not an isolated instance, in fact other cities began noticing high trace levels of lead after testing their water. Notably, Chicago found areas that exceeded 80 times the legal limit of lead in their water.
4. Copper
While copper is an essential part of our diet, too much of it can cause a variety of gastrointestinal issues, liver damage and kidney disease. Copper in water comes from unsafe plumbing pipes. Copper is especially harmful to babies because the human body does not have mechanisms to protect it from copper until after the age of one. Do not use tap water to prepare baby formula because of the copper that is leached, or drawn out, from the pipes. Homeowners should note that “unsafe pipes” is not referring to old pipes. Studies show that newer pipes have higher copper levels than older pipes.
5. Nitrate
Over seven million Americans are exposed to Nitrate, a fertilizer chemical, each year. Nitrate ranks as one of the most common contaminants found in tap water. Nitrate enters our water through fertilizer runoff, manure, and water treatment plants excess waste. The agricultural areas in America will frequently have the highest concentrated levels of Nitrate in their water. Nitrate affects the blood oxygen level in humans, notably giving infants the “blue baby syndrome” after excessive ingestion limits the blood level to unhealthy limits. It can also cause colorectal, thyroid, kidney, bladder, and ovarian cancers.
Next Steps: Can a Water Filter Remove Those Toxins?
- How can you find out what’s in your water? Here at ONIT, we offer a free water test to help you find out exactly what is in your tap water.
- How do you combat these issues? From there, we can implement a water filter to give you safer water.
- What do water filters remove? These water filters will remove the aforementioned contaminants, giving you and your family peace of mind.
Give us a call today at 1-833-433-0331 to set up your free water check, and talk about the best options available for your new water filtration system at home. You can also visit our website to find out more information about what water filtration offers we have for you.