A growing number of environmental organizations and scientists are focusing on the chemical pollution in our bodies and the subsequent impact on our health. Their aim is to educate us about this disturbing situation and provide information on how to reduce our exposure. By alerting individuals and families to their personal danger, they are increasing awareness of the larger impact of chemical pollution on the environment and wildlife. As a means of attracting public awareness, some well-known political and media personalities have taken part in studies that measure their personal pollution profiles.

In fact, I watched the Dr. Oz show yesterday and sure enough, the topic of discussion was the dangers that lurk in our tap water. Dr. Mehmet Oz alerted that “There is a state of emergency with America’s water. The contaminates are in the water you drink and the water you bathe in, the water you brush your teeth with. Parasites, chemical cleaning agents, arsenic, and animal feces can be lurking in the water in your home and you don’t even know it.” He goes on to say that, “every year nearly 20 million of us get sick from water infected by parasites, bacteria and virus’s. And one out of every 10 us gets exposed to water contaminated with toxic chemicals, poisoning our bodies. Manganese, barium, lead, and even arsenic, tons of it getting pumped illegally into our soil contaminating our water supply.”

Dr. Oz Show - Don’t Drink The Water

Dr. Oz had New York Times Reporter Charles Duhigg on the show, who has done a series of articles called “Toxic Water”, exposing and blowing the lid off how the Government protects our water. Duhigg reported that the clean water act passed in 1972 to protect the safety of our water has been violated a half a million times in the last 5 years alone.

In fact, many believe that a considerable amount of tap and well water in North America is now simply not safe for drinking due to heavy industrial and environmental pollution. In Canada, the water quality of the Great Lakes has been compromised by both natural causes and a long history of apathetic pollution.

Yet, when most of us turn on the tap to get a drink, we don’t often think about the quality of the water that we are about to drink. We assume that by the time the water reaches our tap, it has met the current standards for consumption. This may often be the case, however, we are hearing more and more about contamination from chemicals.

You might be wondering where these chemicals come from, the Natural Resources Defense Council says “They are used in a seemingly endless array of industrial applications and consumer products, including baby toys, air freshener, laundry detergent, shampoo, nail polish, food containers, rugs and furniture, to name a few.”

A study by University of Washington engineering professor, Anne Steinemann, has found that many common household items are potentially exposing us to dangerous chemicals. The threat isn’t limited to people because the chemicals in consumer products flow from homes to the outdoors. “These chemicals get into our water systems.” she said. “They are extraordinarily hard to get out of the environment.”

So what can we do to reduce our exposure? A very important step to take in your home is to filter your tap water. Filtering your water will remove toxins, but only if the system is NSF certified to remove all contaminants including the mix of pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, mood stabilizers, steroid hormones, as well as dangerous metals and chemicals such as lead, manganese, barium and arsenic and other compounds passing through standard wastewater treatment processes.

Dr. Oz mentioned some basic carbon filters such as a carafe or a faucet filter. The reality is that while these filters will eliminate some of these toxins (primarily chlorine), they are nowhere near as effective as a whole home water system. An NSF certified whole home water treatment system is the best defense. Although, it may be a more expensive option up front, the savings per glass of water compared to carafe or faucet filters far outweighs this…Not to mention the cost to your health.

In this issue we examine bottled water.

Volume 2 Issue 2                                 Download PDF

Time for Issue 2 of our 2nd year! There have been many changes of late here at Water 411. Over the last several months we have been busily expanding our website. We are currently working to get our back issues online and we have added RSS syndication to the site. For those of you who would like to receive regular updates, be sure to subscribe.
This time out, we are examining bottled water. With all the media attention right now, this issue practically wrote itself. Bottled water is perceived as being better for you than tap water. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Municipally treated tap water is legislated to much stricter standards than its bottled counterpart. Furthermore, the bottles themselves can be hazardous due to leaching of the chemical components of their plastics.

Reader’s Digest Article: “Rethink What You Drink”

Bottled Waters Contaminated with Antimony from PET

Plastic bottles leach chemicals into water: study

The bottles are also coming under scrutiny for their huge environmental footprint. According to the Pacific Institute, in 2006:

• Producing the bottles for American consumption required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation
• Bottling water produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide
• It took 3 litres of water to produce 1 litre of bottled water

Water bottles, along with other plastics, are also taking a huge toll on the world’s oceans. Water currents are gathering non-biodegradable, toxic plastics into the earth’s largest garbage dumps. There are two primary areas of concern in the Pacific Ocean. The Eastern and the Western Garbage Patches. The Eastern Garbage Patch, the larger of the two, is currently about twice the size of Texas. For centuries, these natural vortices have gathered debris. With the advent of plastics, however, these regions have become choked with photodegradable polymers that are unleashing toxins into the food chain, changing ocean chemistry and killing wildlife.

Plastic ocean: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Trashed - Across the Pacific Ocean, Plastics, Plastics, Everywhere

The trash vortex

With the exception of the small amount of plastic destroyed through incineration, every bit of plastic created still exists today. This affront to the health of our planet is only exacerbated by the bottled water industry.

There are many more reasons to ban the bottle in your home. Download our current issue of Water 411 and check out these other informative links.
Questions and Answers on Bottled Water, Health Canada

Feature: Turning on Canada’s Tap?, Polaris Institute

Inside the Bottle, Polaris Institute

Watch that water, The Fiji Times

Bottled Water - Pure Drink or Pure Hype?, Natural Resources Defense Council

Ryerson Challenges the Bottled Water Industry (video), the Toronto Star

Bottled water is set to be the latest battleground in the eco war, Polaris Institute

More consumers are shunning expensive bottled varieties for tap water, Daily Mail

BOTTLED WATER: Pouring Resources Down the Drain, Earth Policy Institute

As always, we invite your comments on this blog or send us an email at info@water411.ca

Thanks!

Elena Valentino
Editor, Water 411

In this issue, we explore the dangers of lead in drinking water and offer solutions to remove it from our homes and bodies.

Volume 2 Issue 1                              Download PDF

Hello Again.

We have just launched our first issue of Water 411 for 2008! This issue concentrates on lead in our water, its impact on the most vulnerable groups, the potential for a “Pandora’s Box” of new disinfectant by-products and what measures we can take to minimize our exposure.

Most people are aware that lead is a toxic heavy metal, but many do not realize that recent research has demonstrated that even slight exposure can be very injurious. Nowadays, Health Canada says that even small amounts of lead can be hazardous to human health. Exposure can be harmful, especially to infants, young children and pregnant women.

Lead was very much in the news during 2007. There seemed to be almost daily headlines warning about product recalls and drinking water alerts. International toy manufacturers, including high-profile names such as Mattel and Fisher-Price, were forced to recall many toys manufactured in China because these toys had been coated with paint containing lead.

Across Canada alarms were raised about high levels of lead found in water samples from Montreal Quebec, Charlottetown PEI, Prince Albert Saskatchewan, London Ontario and even the Ontario legislative building. During mandatory testing of drinking water in the US there were also high lead levels recorded.

Lead mainly enters the drinking water system by leaching from older lead water pipes, although some additional contamination could also leach from plumbing fixtures that contain lead.

So imagine the surprise when high lead levels were found in the water in some homes in areas of North America where there were no lead pipes in the system at all. The discovery that this new corrosiveness was caused by changes in disinfectant and anti-corrosion chemicals has many scientists worried about new contaminants being introduced into our water system.

Clearly, it is time to take action in our homes! Based on your feedback, this current issue provides solutions for eliminating lead and other heavy metals from our drinking water.

As always, we invite your comments on this blog or send us an email at info@water411.ca.
Sincerely,
Elena Valentino
Editor Water 411.

Lead poisoning

Health Canada – effects of lead on human health

How you are exposed to toxic chemicals

Lead in drinking water

Drinking water and old plumbing

Charlottetown to warn about lead in water

‘Safe’ lead levels damage children’s IQ: study

Chloramines linked to lead in drinking water

Corrosive water combined with treatments to reduce disinfection byproducts may be leading to high lead levels in Ontario’s drinking water.

Byproduct of water-disinfection process found to be highly toxic

Ontario proposal to amend drinking water regulation

Download Issue 3 with important information about hydration and health.

Volume 1 Issue 3                                 Download PDF

Many experts claim that we, as a society, are chronically dehydrated.  This notion seems strange here in Canada, where we boast the world’s largest supply of fresh water.  Dehydration is not considered a significant issue here.  However, each year thousands of people, primarily children and the elderly, require emergency treatment or hospitalization due to dehydration.

Little that could be considered hard empirical evidence exists in relation to chronic dehydration.  It is difficult to judge its long-term effects at a cellular level.  We know that water is integral to all bodily functions.  We understand its significance in transporting nutrients to and waste away from our cells, its role in regulating body temperature, and its functions as catalyst for innumerable chemical reactions.  We do not, however, have a real grasp of the stress endured by the body when basic requirements for water are not met, on an on-going basis, over the course of years.

Dehydration occurs when our bodies use more water than we take in.  Many alternative healthcare practitioners claim that this simple deficit is at the heart of a host of common ailments that range from arthritis to heart disease and even cancer.

While evidence for these claims may be anecdotal, it is important to remember that each of us is individual and that, even under identical conditions and stresses, no two bodies will react in exactly the same way.  Most smokers, for instance, do not develop lung cancer.  But this does not negate the fact that smoking is the number one contributing factor in this disease.

Our current issue of Water 411 examines the importance of maintaining hydration from several perspectives.  Pure water is truly our “life blood” and it is important to maintain the delicate balance that is our internal sea.  So grab a glass of cold refreshing water, download Issue III of our newsletter and stay healthy and hydrated over the summer months ahead.

As always, if you have any comments, questions or stories that you would like to share, either leave a comment on this blog or send us an email at info@water411.ca.

Sincerely,
Elena Valentino
Editor Water 411.

Hydration / dehydration:  Water for health and performance.

Drinking / Hydrating for Exercise:  Expert advice about drinking during exercise. When to use water, sports drinks, and how to avoid dehydration. 

University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics: Why you should drink more water. 

University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics:  Hydration: getting enough water 

Welcome to Orthomolecular Medicine Online 

The Side Road: Water and Weight Loss 

Water UK:  Water For Health 

Hydration/Dehydration:  Ten Tips For Maintaining Proper Hydration 

Why Drink Water? 

For many years, people have known that ingesting or inhaling lead is dangerous.  According to Health Canada, “Lead poisoning can cause anemia. It can also damage the brain and nervous system, resulting in learning disabilities.”

Children are the most at risk due to the fact that their growing bodies can more easily absorb this metal.  Health Canada further states that, “Even small amounts of dust containing lead are dangerous to infants and children. Lead taken in by mothers-to-be can also pose a danger to the health of unborn children.”

Health Canada - Lead Based Paint

It is a long-known fact that older homes pose many risks with regard to lead poisoning due to the lead-based paints that were so common prior to 1960.  It has finally been acknowledged that these homes also pose risks through drinking water due to the lead pipes that were also so prevalent.

It is a little known fact that, in these homes, water lines should be flushed every morning, or any time that water has been standing for more than 6 hours.  It is recommended that homeowners allow taps to run for at least 5 minutes each morning, prior to consuming water.  It is further recommended in these homes that only cold water should be used for drinking, making coffee or tea, or for cooking since hot water absorbs more lead from pipes and solder.

Even following these recommendations, however, will not guarantee “safe” drinking water.

Since the discovery of contaminated water in Ontario communities, the provincial government has mandated lead testing for all schools and daycares in older buildings.  Laurel Broten, the provincial environment minister, has stated that, the (Ontario) government’s action plan includes a proposed regulation to make regular municipal water testing mandatory.

This problem is hitting very close to home for Ontario lawmakers.  Signage has been posted in Queen’s Park warning against consuming the water from the 114-year-old building’s pipes due to unacceptable levels of contamination.

This begs the question, what is an acceptable level of contamination in drinking water?

According to the Toronto Star, “Most Ontario municipalities will test a home’s water for free, but if the service line from the street to the home has to be replaced, the homeowner will end up paying about $2,000 of the cost, and possibly as much as $10,000.”

Lead Concerns Prompt Tap Water Tests

Replacing lead pipes from the service line, however, does not eliminate lead accumulated in water supplies in transit through delivery systems.  Most municipalities are struggling to replace the lead pipes that are common to these infrastructures.

Clearly, it is time to address in-home filtration methods that will eliminate not only lead but also other containments, both naturally occurring and manmade.

The cost of a whole home water filtration system is often comparable to, or even less expensive than, the cost of making these recommended replacements to plumbing and will offer the homeowner a host of other benefits that cannot be realized by simply changing out the pipes.

We, at Water 411, feel that it is time to address these issues.  Politicians tell us that even in municipalities in which lead concentrations have been deemed “higher than acceptable” the water is still safe to drink.  They also acknowledge, however, that prolonged exposure to lead is highly unsafe.  I personally believe, and current legislation seems to bear out the fact, that we must protect the most vulnerable, our children, from these long-term effects.

Therefore, the Fall Issue of Water 411 will address our options for water filtration in our homes.  We would also like to hear from you regarding your own concerns about your drinking water.  We feel very strongly that these concerns must be given voice.  Please feel free to leave a comment on this blog or to email info@water411.ca

Sincerely,
Elena Valentino
Editor Water 411

Download the 2nd issue of Water 411 with important information about fluoride in our water.

Volume 1 Issue 2                                     Download PDF

Hello again.

Well we have just finished distribution on the second issue of Water 411. The focus of this issue is fluoridation of tap water. Many of the resources that we read about this topic were very enlightening.

The fight to stop the practice of fluoridating Canada’s water supplies began nearly as soon as the practice was adopted. In 1959, the CBC broadcast Gordon Sinclair’s rebuttal to arguments made by the “expert” proponents of this practice. His argument rings as true today as it did nearly 50 years ago. If fluoride is a known poison, even if it does possess some ability to inhibit dental decay in some children’s teeth, why is it added to every drop of water that is pumped through many municipal water systems? As citizens of a society predicated on the Rights of the Individual, why are we forced to ingest a medication/poison with every sip of water that we consume?

Gordon Sinclair’s Rant (1959)

Furthermore, dental experts have now long been aware of widespread incidence of dental fluorosis, a condition caused by overexposure to fluoride, that is destroying the teeth of children across the country, the very individuals for whom the practice was purportedly enacted.

Looking Back at 40 Years of Fluoride (Marketplace: Nov. 24, 1992)

The fight against fluoride in Canada is gaining momentum. Several municipalities have abandoned the practice altogether. For more information about this harmful additive, its history and information explaining what you can do about it, please see the following links:

Dr. Hardy Limeback
The Fluoride Deception
Fluoride Action Network
Health Canada
Fluoride History
Canadian Dental Association Advises AGAINST Fluoride Supplements in Young Children
Biting Back against Fluoride (Maclean’s Magazine)
Why I’m suing Canada over public water fluoridation.
Professor at Harvard Is Being Investigated
Fluoride-Cancer Link May Have Been Hidden (Washington Post)
Compulsory Fluoridation: An Industrial Tale
The Phosphate Fertilizer Industry: An Environmental Overview
How Do I Avoid Fluoride from my Tap Water?

And please, if you have any comments to share or any ideas for topics in Water 411, please login to this blog and start a dialogue. We welcome your input!

Sincerely,
Elena Valentino
Editor Water 411