There are over 2000 cancer-causing chemicals in tap water, according to studies completed by the Ralph Nader Research Group. If you currently drink tap water that has not been run through a good point-of-use or home filtration device, you are increasing your risk of cancer every time you take a sip. It’s not really surprising that there are chemicals in tap water. It was kind of surprising that there are so many different one’s, at least at first.
But, then I realized that everything in the environment eventually ends up in our surface and groundwater. Industrial pollutants and farm run-off are the biggest culprits, but everyday citizens like you and me are also responsible, as is your local public treatment facility. Facilities in several cities of the US are encouraging their citizens to drink tap water more often. Buy bottled water less often. I believe that’s a very good suggestion, since the bottled water industry is responsible for a large amount of the environmental pollutants that are poisoning us, while wasting freshwater by the gallon, every time they fill up a bottle. But, I also believe that, regardless of where you live, you should not drink tap water without filtering it first. It’s a simple and inexpensive step that could save your life.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has published their concerns about cyst contamination on their website. Cysts are parasites that are resistant to chemical disinfection. They may be present in anyone’s supply and even in bottled brands. The chemicals in tap water kill you slowly, by building up in your organs and tissues over time. Cysts can kill you quickly, if you have a weak immune system. They cause flu-like symptoms that can easily dehydrate someone who has been ill. Cysts can only be removed through sub-micron filtration. A purifier must be certified to filter down to one micron in order to guarantee their removal. Watch out for inexpensive systems that claim to purifier. Most of them will not remove cysts.
Some people don’t like to drink tap water because of the taste and smell of chlorine. It is one of the chemicals in tap water that is added by treatment facilities to kill bacteria and control algae growth in the pipelines.
It’s not the most hazardous chemical, but it is a known allergen and constant exposure probably causes numerous health problems. The worst thing is that chlorination releases byproducts that have been shown to increase your risk of bladder and colorectal cancer. For many years, respected publications would not release studies concerning the risk. They feared the public would call for an end to chlorination, which would end up causing outbreaks of waterborne illnesses, all over the world. We’re not really that stupid. We know that in order to drink tap water, bacteria and other microbes must be killed.
But, if we had known sooner about the cancer risks, we might have been able to better protect ourselves. Now that you know about the cancer-causing chemicals in tap water, your next step is to buy a home filtration device. Live longer and prosper.