Dear Appreciated Friend,
Is your tap water safe to drink? How can you be sure?! News reports abound on the hazards of toxic run-offs and high levels of fluoride in reservoirs. About 40 percent of Americans use some type of filter or purifier to treat their drinking water. Should you?
That depends on where you live. ‘But I drink only bottled water that is perfectly clear,’ you may say. Perhaps. It depends on what brand you are drinking, when and where it was bottled, and if that partilar botcutle of water has undergone the rigorous testing mandated by the Federal government.
We at Tony’s Body Shop are committed to bringing you and your family the latest information for your protection and well-being. This issue of our newsletter gives you important insights to help you protect your family’s health.
In this Issue you will learn:
How to Choose Safe Drinking Water
- Is bottled water better?
- What’s in your tap water?
- The information is at your fingertips!
- What you can do.
- Filtration systems that will work for you.
Is Bottled Water Better?
Although many of us choose bottled water as a cleaner alternative to tap, we may be overly influenced by advertising and those images of crystal-clear mountain and glacial springs on the label. According to The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), bottled water sold in the United States is not necessarily cleaner or safer than most tap water.
At the national level, the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for bottled water safety, but the FDA's rules completely exempt waters that are packaged and sold within the same state, which account for between 60 and 70 percent of all bottled water sold in the United States (roughly one out of five states don't regulate these waters either). The FDA also exempts carbonated water and seltzer, and fewer than half of the states require carbonated waters to meet their own bottled water standards. Even when bottled waters are covered by the FDA's rules, they are subject to less rigorous testing and purity standards than those which apply to city tap water.
What’s in Your Tap Water
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all of your drinking water comes from sources that have some natural contaminants. At low levels, these contaminants aren’t harmful. However, when certain toxins pass through the water filtration and disinfection systems in large enough numbers, they can cause health problems. Toxins such as:
- Lead, which can lower children's IQs and cause developmental delays; in adults it can boost blood pressure and cause kidney problems
- Potential carcinogens, including arsenic, asbestos, radium, benzene, trichloroethylene, radon, the pesticide atrazine, and perchlorate, a chemical known for causing thyroid tumors and, in fetuses and infants, delaying development
- Germs, including cysts such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium; fecal bacteria such as fecal coliform; and viruses. These are a particular risk for infants and anyone with a weakened immune system, including those with HIV, transplant recipients, chemotherapy patients, and the frail elderly
- By-products of chlorination, such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, which may cause cancer, reproductive problems, and birth defects
- Nitrate (from fertilizers and animal and human waste), which can interfere with the blood's ability to carry oxygen and is especially hazardous for infants; it also may be linked to miscarriages and birth defects
- Heavy metals, such as mercury and cadmium, which may cause kidney and neurological damage
- Fluoride. There is much concern about the levels of fluoride in our drinking water. Fluoride, once thought to be the prevention for all dental cavities, has come under the spotlight as a cause for both tooth decay (fluoridosis), birth defects and potential cancers.
Information At Your Fingertips
The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act mandates that state and local water companies issue annual reports on contaminant levels with specific Environmental Protection Agency's "MCL" or "maximum [allowable] contaminant level" for each. Your report should come with your water bill. If it doesn't, call the water company and ask for a copy. You may also find the reports at the local library or, if your water company is large enough, at the Environmental Protection Agency Web site.
Read the whole report and double-check the numbers. The NRDC found that several water companies buried bad news inside their reports. The cover page of Washington, DC's, for instance, announced, "Your drinking water is safe." But following pages revealed that the city's water contained worrisome levels of lead and potentially harmful chemicals.
If you're pregnant or have an infant at home, look for levels of nitrate, a contaminant from fertilizer and feces, and chlorination by-products called trihalomethanes, These may increase risks of miscarriage, birth defects, and other health problems.
Call your water company!
Most water companies test for more contaminants than the EPA requires. Call yours and ask if it has found high levels of any it tests for voluntarily, since these may not appear in your annual report, says Olson. Ask if they've taken steps to remove the contaminants.
Find the right water treatment for your home!
If you do find something in your water, which treatment system should you use? That may depend on what’s in your water as well as in your budget.
There are several different types of water-treatment systems. Look for a model certified by an independent lab such as NSF International, the WQA, or Underwriters Laboratories, and check the manufacturer's specifications to make sure it removes the contaminants in your supply.
The following 5 systems can be purchased to treat water; each removes specific contaminants and varies from faucet mounted, under sink, and “whole house”.
- Activated granular carbon filters help remove : atrazine, benzene, mercury, trichloroethylene, trihalomethanes, and radon.
- Solid block carbon filters help remove : asbestos, atrazine, benzene, lead, mercury, trichloroethylene, trihalomethanes, giardia, and cryptosporidium.
- Reverse osmosis helps remove : arsenic, asbestos, atrazine, lead, mercury, nitrate, radium, cryptosporidium, and fluoride.
- Ion exchange systems ( water softeners ) help remove : Calcium & magnesium (minerals that shorten the life of plumbing and make it harder to rinse away soap residue) Some ion exchange systems also remove iron, manganese, aluminum, lead, radium.
- Distillers: Arsenic, asbestos, lead, mercury, nitrate, trichloroethylene, trihalomethanes, radium, coliform bacteria, cryptosporidium, and fluoride.
In Summary
- All of your drinking water comes from sources that have some natural contaminants.
- At low levels these contaminants are not harmful. At higher levels they can cause birth defects, severe nausea, dizziness, bone density loss and certain cancers.
- For your protection check with your local water supply company to ensure that they are following standards regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Read the latest research on fluoride and make sure you and your family aren’t getting too much in your drinking water, juices and foods.
- Choose a water filtration system that fits your needs and budget – you’ll be glad you did!
For additional information on drinking water safety, visit the following websites:
http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/20060322.html
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/index.html
http://www.unicef.org/wes/fluoride.pdf
http://www.prevention.com/water/fluoride_home/
Something To Think About
Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory. ALBERT SCHWEITZER
The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. ALLAN K. CHALMERS
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages. FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE
Why should you refer your family and friends to Tony's Body Shop?
What we offer with every repair job:
- Guaranteed color match
- Accurate panel to panel alignment
- Repairing the vehicle to a safe condition
Your 100% satisfaction is our goal.
At Tony's Body Shop you can still find service, a smile, and a sincere thank you if you allow us to service your auto body needs.
Please feel free to call us if we can be of help or guide you in any way.
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