Heavy Metals & Your Tap Water

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Frank <califpacific wrote:

alternative_medicine_forum From: Frank Sat, 4 Sep 2004 04:05:02 -0700 (PDT) Heavy Metals & Your Tap Waterhttp://www.mercola.com/2004/sep/4/heavy_metals_water.htmHeavy Metals & Your Tap WaterBy Brian Cronin, Director of AquaMDFor some, the term "heavy metal" conjures up images ofwailing guitars, thunderous drums and stacks ofamplifiers. Although those power chords can hurt yourears at high volume, the heavy metals found in ournation's tap water are far more harmful.Heavy metals are inorganic chemical elements withrelatively high density and are toxic even at lowconcentrations. Some examples include mercury,arsenic, chromium, cadmium,

nickel and lead. Thesemetallic elements occur naturally in the Earth's crustas geologic formations, and cannot be degraded ordestroyed.Heavy metals enter our bodies in various ways: * The food we eat * The air we breathe * The water we drinkIn low traces, some heavy metals -- like copper andzinc -- are essential to maintaining good health andmetabolism within the human body. But, in higherconcentrations, even beneficial metals can be toxicand poison us.What makes heavy metals particularly dangerous istheir tendency to bioaccumulate, meaning the increasedconcentration of a chemical in our bodies over time.We absorb heavy metals from the environment and theyare stored at a rate that is faster than they aremetabolized or excreted from the body. Heavy metalsaccumulate in the water supply through human activity,such as industrial and

consumer waste. Commercialprocesses, like mining, agriculture, manufacturing andthe discarding of wastes in landfills, are all commonsources of heavy metal contamination.Even rainwater, with its acidic pH, can cause thesecompounds to leach into the surface and undergroundwater supplies from the surrounding soil and rock.Even our own home can be a source of heavy metalcontamination. In homes built before the late 1980s,lead and copper can leach into the passing water fromwater pipes and soldered joints on the way to ourtaps. Low pH and elevated temperatures result inincreased corrosion of water pipes.Left unchecked, lead can give rise to chronic nerve,brain and kidney damage as well as blood disorders.Homes with children, senior citizens and people withimmune system problems are particularly vulnerable.While the EPA sets maximum contaminant levels (MCL)for heavy metals in our drinking water,

practicallyall of their testing takes place at the water sourceand during treatment. Only a tiny fraction of thetesting takes place randomly at the home tap levelwhere metal contamination can easily occur. For thoseof us on private wells, there is no one looking outfor your water quality. The testing is left solely upto you.Detection is the first step toward protectingyourself. Once you know what's in your water, then youcan find a solution to rectify the problem.Remember, no two filters are alike ... and no singlefilter exists that can remove all possiblecontaminants. Always test your water with a certifiedlaboratory, as they are required to follow mandatorytesting procedures and can detect down to parts perbillion.Relying on your senses simply isn't smart. Certifiedanalysis will result in the type of accuracy that youneed when assessing your water's overall potabilityand

quality.Please pass this message or article on to someone else so that they may learn also.Community Newsletters.http://www.alternative-medicine-newsletter.infoCommunity Message Boards.http://www.alternative-medicine-message-boards.info"Do not let either the medical authorities or the politicians mislead you. Find out what the facts are, and make your own decisions about how to live a happy life and how to work for a better world." - Linus PaulingGetting well is done one step at a time, day by day, building health and well being..list or archives: :........

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