1.0Whole House Water Filter Systems and Water Softenershttps://ragnarok83.com/authwaternewadminhttps://ragnarok83.com/authwaternew/author/clouddan/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="8HGfms5XB8"><a href="https://ragnarok83.com/authwaternew/beware-of-toxins-in-drinking-water/">Beware of Toxins in Drinking Water</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://ragnarok83.com/authwaternew/beware-of-toxins-in-drinking-water/embed/#?secret=8HGfms5XB8" width="600" height="338" title="“Beware of Toxins in Drinking Water” — Whole House Water Filter Systems and Water Softeners" data-secret="8HGfms5XB8" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://ragnarok83.com/authwaternew/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script> https://ragnarok83.com/authwaternew/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/fb7a42_8fb30ee286744eae898fad9f2218bbc9mv2.png799580As written by Brian Vaszily on 10/13/2020 How often do you think about your drinking water? Probably not very often, since most Americans take it for granted that the water we have access to is clean. In fact, unless you live somewhere like Flint, Michigan where there was a huge lead contamination crisis, it’s easy to assume that official organizations are doing their job of regulating water purity. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. There is growing evidence of contaminants and toxic chemicals in drinking water that can cause long-term chronic health problems for you and your family. So far, government regulatory agencies haven’t stepped in to solve the problem, so it’s up to you the consumer to be educated on what’s happening and make better choices for yourself. Are You Really Drinking Clean Water? You probably know a little bit about how important water is to our health. The human body can’t survive very long without it, and drinking enough water is essential for healthy skin, kidney function, brain health, and much more. It’s a well-known “fact” that Americans are fortunate to have ready access to clean water, something people in less developed countries don’t have. This is true on the surface. You have a very low chance of suffering acute symptoms or death caused by waterborne bacteria like E. coli. However, that doesn’t mean the water you’re drinking is completely safe. Consistently drinking water that has low levels of contaminants can lead to an accumulation in your system, which causes chronic health problems (rather than acute). You might not even realize you’re getting sick or connect your symptoms to your water source. Even worse, those at most risk for being affected by hidden toxins in drinking water are the already vulnerable: children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. Toxins to Be Aware Of The first step to cleaning up your drinking water is learning what may be lurking in it. Let’s take a look at the most common (and dangerous) chemicals you should know about. Lead Lead is probably one of the most well-known water toxins because it makes a big splash when there’s a problem. Contamination with lead comes from lead pipes and other plumbing fixtures that can leach into the water supply. Water companies are supposed to test for lead, but they don’t always do so. You can’t see, smell, or taste lead, so you won’t notice its presence on your own. Exposure to lead has a serious negative effect on the brain and central nervous system, although it can also affect every organ in the body. Children are at the most risk for toxicity because their brains are still developing. Fluoridation / Fluoride Fluoride is often marketed as a beneficial chemical that will help you have strong and healthy teeth. It’s a mineral naturally found in your teeth and actually a naturally occurring mineral in some of the cleanest water sources on earth, where it is not toxic. (In these pure waters, it often bonds with the naturally occurring calcium and becomes calcium fluoride.) However, fluoride became a common additive to tap water in the 1940’s. And while there may have been good intentions involved, this fluoridation process is an industrial waste byproduct from the manufacturing of aluminum or fertilizer. And there’s growing concern that this type of fluoride accumulates in the bodies of those who consume it and acts as a neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor. It’s currently under investigation by the National Toxicology Program of the U.S., but many other countries like France, Italy, Sweden, Japan, and Norway have already either banned or never used fluoridation because of health concerns. Disturbingly, one study found that higher levels of fluoride in drinking water likely causes a drop of IQ in children who drink that water. Chlorine Chlorine has been used for many years to purify water of potential disease-causing microbes, so you would think it was known to be safe for consumption, but that isn’t the case. The main danger of toxicity comes when chlorine reacts with certain organic compounds present either in drinking water or in your gut. The end result is that toxic byproducts like trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) are produced. Both of these chemical groups can increase your risk of certain cancers, adversely affect your kidneys, and cause reproductive problems. Perchlorate Perchlorate is a natural compound that can also be made synthetically in a lab. It’s known as an oxidizer and is commonly used in fireworks, explosives, road flares, and rocket propellants. It can also be found in certain fertilizers. Naturally occurring perchlorate is not usually present in large enough amounts to cause any harm. However, the man-made version has leached into drinking water in several states. The main toxic effect of perchlorate is on your thyroid gland. It can inhibit your thyroid from taking up iodine (an essential nutrient), leading to other health problems. Like many other toxins, repeated consumption of perchlorate is most dangerous for children, pregnant women, and those with compromised health. It can lead to developmental and learning disabilities in children and is especially dangerous for kids under 2 years of age. PFAS (aka “Forever Chemicals”) The technical name for PFAS is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which refers to a group of man-made chemicals that can have very adverse health effects. PFOA and PFOS are two of the most studied PFAS. Both are persistent, which means they won’t break down, and can easily accumulate in the environment, water sources, animals, and humans (hence the name “forever chemicals”). These chemicals are no longer manufactured in the U.S. because they were found to cause reproductive, developmental, liver, and kidney problems (to name a few) as well as cancer. However, the damage has already been done, and imported goods may still contain these PFAS. A recent report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) revealed that PFAS have contaminated tap water in many U.S. cities, much more so than was previously thought. This is important because water companies