Tap water toxicity- Risk assessment
Written By: Milos Pokimica
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Xiùying Wáng, M.D.
Updated June 9, 2023Water purification is a big business, especially in countries that do not have clean sources and tap water toxicity is a big issue. More than a billion people even to this day drink filthy water and do not have any form of sanitation. Diarrhea to this day due to poor sanitation kills an estimated 842,000 people every year globally. By 2025, 1.8 billion people are projected to be living in regions with absolute water scarcity. Water is big business, and the business will grow.
On the other hand, even if we have tap water in our homes tap water toxicity can be one of the contributing factors to our toxic overload. People who are in the business of water purification often don’t do good science and are more interested in profit.
There are a couple of ways we can try to lower our toxic load. A natural toxic chemical that we are exposed to and mane made POPs (persistent organic pollutants) are here to stay and there is little we can do to avoid exposing ourselves to environmental pollution except eating organically grown food that is low on a food chain and moving to more unpolluted cities, but there is another line of actions we can take.
First, we can start with the most basic stuff like the water we drink. If we cannot escape chemicals in our food, we can try to eliminate them from the water we drink.
If we are living in a city where we are sure that the water source is pure this still does not mean that the water is “pure”. It just means that it is in the range of accessible toxicity for the chemicals that they measure. Bottled water for that matter also might not necessarily be safer, cleaner, or of higher quality just because it is bottled than water straight out of the faucet. It is a more complex issue that depends on individual case-to-case scenarios. As a consumer, you should know that there in some cases bottled water can be even more polluted than tap water. All of the sodas, beverages and all other items you will find in the grocery store are made with regular tap water. And there are hundreds of chemicals and pollutants in tap water that are there and are not tested for safety levels and some are toxic and are added deliberately like fluoride or chlorine.
The CDC considers fluoride as one of the ten public health achievements of the 20th century. It is viewed as a triumph over tooth decay. Today most of the toothpaste sold contains fluoride and 72% of all water in the US is fluoridated. The first use of fluoride was for the eradication of vermin and ever since it was a crucial ingredient in rat poison and insecticides. In the early days of fluoride use, it was only known as a poison not just for men, but for the environment as well. It was a crucial ingredient in the Manhattan project and nuclear weapons too. It was added to Auschwitz’s water supply and the water of Siberian gulags for its effect on the human mental state. It is hazardous waste from the phosphate fertilizer industry which cannot be dumped into the streams or sea by international law and cannot be used locally because it is too concentrated.
Because of public awareness, most of the fluoride is removed in most countries in the world and it is illegal but chlorine is not. But wait, chlorine itself is proven to be a toxic cancer-promoting mutagen. It is not a well-known fact outside of the research community but there was a line of research that lasted for decades into this matter. People who drink chlorinated water for a prolonged period have an increased risk of cancer, especially bladder cancer. The number that studies have shown is around 27 percent. If you drink tap water you have a 27 percent more risk for bladder cancer. There is also some evidence of an increased risk of certain types of birth defects. In these types of studies is hard to prove cause-and-effect meaning if The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that between 2 to 17 percent of bladder cancer cases in the United States are just because of the drinking water does that mean that those people would be alive if they didn’t drink tap water. Even if you want to avoid it you are most like to be unsuccessful because tap water is used everywhere in the food industry as a standard. For example, all sodas are made from tap water. No food company is going to use deep spring water or even just regular filtered water as source water because that would be an economically unsustainable practice.
Adding rat poison fluoride and then chlorine to our water to fight against microbial contaminants has created new contamination in the form of “disinfection by-products.” The chlorination of drinking water for microbiological safety also interacts with organic matter in the water’s source which results in the creation of chlorinated compounds. These disinfection byproducts pose a health risk and so far there are more than 600 of them have been identified.
There are ways to reduce the risk of the creation of these toxic byproducts in the first place through the better initial removal of source water’s natural organic matter. The cost of upgrading and the infrastructure to run these types of drinking water systems is very high and in most countries, it would be not implemented. Even the US government in some cases has a hard time just keeping heavy toxins out of tap water. All we have to do is to remember the Flint tragedy.
However, there are still other pollutants in tap water that water plants do not test like inorganic metals and microplastic fibers (83% of the samples were contaminated worldwide), and other nanoparticles that we cannot measure. When a substance is in the nanometer range what that actually means is that the substance is small enough to penetrate a cell and that means it can penetrate all organs including the brain. There are some studies done, and it has been proven that microplastic has an effect on wildlife but human studies are not here yet.
Microplastics have the ability to absorb toxic chemicals as well, and research on wild animals shows that they are released into the body. Microplastic was also found in a few samples of commercially bottled water tested in the US. The problem is that they cannot exceed safety levels because there are none. No safety level regulation, only guidelines.
Ever hear of trihalomethanes (TTHMs), which are linked to bladder cancer, skin cancer, and fetal development issues, and hexavalent chromium made notorious by the film Erin Brockovich, or Radium-226 and Radium-228? All of these contaminants I just mentioned always had been detected above legal guidelines.
For hundreds of other contaminants, the government does not impose any requirements at all. One of the most prevalent toxins such as perchlorate and PFOA/PFOS (chemical cousins of Teflon) occurs in millions of Americans’ tap water. Because the EPA does not regulate them, they do not show up in any statistics. Sensitive groups of people, like pregnant women and children, are at higher risk for health complications, especially from the list of following contaminants that are regularly detected in tap water like lead (this is a bigger problem in towns with older water systems), and atrazine (endocrine-disrupting substance is one of the most regularly detected pesticides in US waters) and vinyl chloride (used to make PVC plastic products).
I will not list all of the detected pollutants it would be a long read. Logically in my mind, only clean water in our current environment and the only water that I use for cooking and drinking is distilled water.
References:
Passages selected from a book: Pokimica, Milos. Go Vegan? Review of Science Part 1. Kindle ed., Amazon, 2018.
- Villanueva, C M et al. “Meta-analysis of studies on individual consumption of chlorinated drinking water and bladder cancer.” Journal of epidemiology and community health vol. 57,3 (2003): 166-73. doi:10.1136/jech.57.3.166
- Hwang, Bing-Fang, and Jouni J K Jaakkola. “Water chlorination and birth defects: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Archives of environmental health vol. 58,2 (2003): 83-91. doi:10.3200/AEOH.58.2.83-91
- Grellier, James et al. “Assessing the human health impacts of exposure to disinfection by-products–a critical review of concepts and methods.” Environment international vol. 78 (2015): 61-81. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2015.02.003
- Tak, Surbhi, and Bhanu Prakash Vellanki. “Natural organic matter as precursor to disinfection byproducts and its removal using conventional and advanced processes: state of the art review.” Journal of water and health vol. 16,5 (2018): 681-703. doi:10.2166/wh.2018.032
Related Posts
Do you have any questions about nutrition and health?
I would love to hear from you and answer them in my next post. I appreciate your input and opinion and I look forward to hearing from you soon. I also invite you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more diet, nutrition, and health content. You can leave a comment there and connect with other health enthusiasts, share your tips and experiences, and get support and encouragement from our team and community.
I hope that this post was informative and enjoyable for you and that you are prepared to apply the insights you learned. If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends and family who might also benefit from it. You never know who might need some guidance and support on their health journey.
– You Might Also Like –
Learn About Nutrition
Milos Pokimica is a doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, medical health and nutrition writer, and nutritional science advisor. Author of the book series Go Vegan? Review of Science, he also operates the natural health website GoVeganWay.com
Medical Disclaimer
GoVeganWay.com brings you reviews of the latest nutrition and health-related research. The information provided represents the personal opinion of the author and is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH GoVeganWay.com
NEVER APPLY ANY LIFESTYLE CHANGES OR ANY CHANGES AT ALL AS A CONSEQUENCE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ IN GoVeganWay.com BEFORE CONSULTING LICENCED MEDICAL PRACTITIONER.
In the event of a medical emergency, call a doctor or 911 immediately. GoVeganWay.com does not recommend or endorse any specific groups, organizations, tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned inside.
Editor Picks –
Milos Pokimica is a doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, medical health and nutrition writer, and nutritional science advisor. Author of the book series Go Vegan? Review of Science, he also operates the natural health website GoVeganWay.com
Latest Articles –
Plant Based News
-
Aquaculture Kills More Wild Fishes Than Previously Thought, Study Finds
on October 21, 2024
-
Doctor Responds To Bear Grylls’ Claim That Farting Isn’t Healthy
on October 21, 2024
-
Plant-Based University Catering Would Slash Costs And Emissions, New Report Finds
on October 21, 2024
-
Maple, Almond, And Chia Overnight Oats
on October 21, 2024
-
Are We Entering A ‘New Era’ Of Meat Alternatives?
on October 21, 2024
-
Watermelon Seed Milk Is The Latest Dairy-Free Innovation
on October 20, 2024
-
Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler Honored With ‘Rock Star for Animals’ Award
on October 20, 2024
Top Health News — ScienceDaily
- Sweetened beverage taxes decrease consumption in lower-income households by nearly 50%on October 21, 2024
New research investigated responses to sweetened beverage taxes using the purchasing behavior of approximately 400 households in Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland and Philadelphia. Researchers found that after the tax was introduced, lower-income households decreased their purchases of sweetened beverages by nearly 50%, while higher-income households reduced purchases by 18%.
- The transformative power of movieson October 21, 2024
Docudrama can lead people to be more empathetic toward people who are stigmatized in society, a new study finds.
- New guideline: Preventing a first stroke may be possible with screening, lifestyle changeson October 21, 2024
Updated clinical recommendations, including lifestyle changes, prevention strategies and treatment options, to reduce the risk of a first stroke have been outlined in a new guideline.
- Study finds tuberculosis changes liver metabolism and could promote diabeteson October 21, 2024
Scientists have discovered that tuberculosis disrupts glucose metabolism in the body.
- Can snake research help explain human digestion?on October 21, 2024
To understand how these large snakes can regenerate their intestines without intestinal crypts, scientists sequenced the RNA genes of pythons. By learning more about this process in reptiles, researchers hope to better inform other scientists working to improve the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in humans, including diabetes, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and cancer.
- New discovery could change autoimmune therapy landscapeon October 21, 2024
Researchers have discovered a family of enzymes that work to reduce IgG-mediated pathologies in diseases like MG. The findings, involving mouse models, show that a specific enzyme (an endoglycosidase called CU43) was particularly effective in treating those diseases caused by overactive antibodies.
- Researchers develop 3D atlas of the developing mammalian brainon October 21, 2024
A team of researchers has created a 3D atlas of developing mice brains, providing a more dynamic understanding of how the mammalian brain develops. This atlas provides a common reference and anatomical framework to help researchers understand brain development and study neurodevelopmental disorders.
PubMed, #vegan-diet –
- Vitamin D intake and status in children and adolescents: Comparing vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous dietson October 21, 2024
CONCLUSION: Children across all dietary groups may have low vitamin D intakes; supplementation should be considered for those with inadequate sun exposure, especially those avoiding animal products.
- Vegetarian dietary patterns and cardiovascular risk factors and disease prevention: An umbrella review of systematic reviewson October 21, 2024
CONCLUSION: Practitioners can consider recommending vegetarian dietary patterns to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors and risk of CVD incidence and mortality.
- An unbiased, sustainable, evidence-informed Universal Food Guide: a timely template for national food guideson October 18, 2024
CONCLUSION: The Universal Food Guide that serves as a template for national food guides is both urgent and timely given the well-documented health-harming influences that corporate stakeholders/politicians and advisory committees with conflicts of interest, exert on national food guides. Such influence contributes to the largely-preventable NCDs and environmental issues. Policy makers, health professionals, and the public need unbiased, scientific evidence as informed by the Universal Food…
- Vegetarian and Vegan Dietary Patterns to Treat Adult Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trialson October 17, 2024
Plant-based dietary patterns, including vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns, may help to manage type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by contributing to maintenance of a healthy body weight, improved glycemic control, and reduced risk of diabetes complications. Several diabetes clinical practice guidelines support the use of vegetarian dietary patterns, but there has not been a recently updated systematic review (SR) of evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to examine efficacy. The primary…
- Iron Deficiency Is Associated with Elevated Parathormone Levels, Low Vitamin D Status, and Risk of Bone Loss in Omnivores and Plant-Based Diet Consumerson October 16, 2024
A cross-sectional study was performed in healthy adults (mean age 28 y, 67% women) whose habitual diet was an omnivore, lacto-ovo vegetarian, or vegan diet. The total sample (n = 297) was divided into two groups according to the parathormone (PTH) cut-off value of 65 pg/mL of either normal-PTH (n = 228) or high-PTH (n = 69). Vitamin D status (25-hydroxycholecalciferol, 25-OHD), PTH, and bone formation (bone alkaline phosphatase, BAP) and bone resorption (N-telopeptides of type I collagen, […]
Random Posts –
Featured Posts –
Latest from PubMed, #plant-based diet –
- Implication of dietary barberry (Berberis Vulgaris) leaves inclusion on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass traits in ostrichesby Mojtaba Afshin on October 20, 2024
This study determined production performance, nutrient intake, digestibility, and carcass traits from ostrich chicks fed with barberry (Berberis Vulgaris) leaves (BVL) as a replacement for alfalfa hay (AH). For 150 days, 30 male ostrich (Struthio camelus) (9.10 ± 0.89 kg live weight, mean ± SD) were randomly grouped into five dietary BVL inclusion levels to replace AH: a control diet based on 100% AH (CTRL), and four groups with BVL as a substitute for AH at varying levels including 25% […]
- Nourishing the mind: how the EAT-Lancet reference diet (ELD) and MIND diet impact stress, anxiety, and depressionby Farzam Kamrani on October 19, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: The ELD and MIND diet were both associated with reduced odds of depression. Additionally, MIND diet was associated with decreased likelihood of anxiety and stress. However, no connection was observed between ELD and anxiety or stress. Further large-scale interventions are required to confirm these findings.
- Low-calorie, high-protein diets, regardless of protein source, improve glucose metabolism and cardiometabolic profiles in subjects with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesityby Carmen Rodrigo-Carbó on October 18, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: Low-calorie HP diets improved body composition, glucose metabolism and other cardiometabolic outcomes, regardless of protein source (either animal or plant sources), in outpatients with prediabetes or T2DM.
- What are the changes in mothers’ diets after the birth of a child: results from the NutriNet-Santé cohortby Joséphine Brunin on October 18, 2024
Childbirth is a major life-changing event, this period is an opportunity to improve eating habits. The aim of this longitudinal study was to identify and characterise dietary changes in women according to their parity status. Dietary intake data from 4194 women of childbearing age included in the NutriNet-Santé cohort were derived using a FFQ, administered in 2014 and 2018, distinguishing between organic and conventional food consumption. Women were classified into four groups: ‘previous…
- The Role of Whole Food Plant-Based Food Intake on Postprandial Glycemia in Type 1 Diabetesby Rebecca J Johnson on October 18, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: Meal events with higher hPDI were associated with 4% postprandial TIR improvement. These benefits were seen primarily in WFPBD meals (captured by hPDI) and less pronounced plant-based meals (captured by PDI), emphasizing the benefit of increasing unprocessed food intake over limiting animal products alone.
- An unbiased, sustainable, evidence-informed Universal Food Guide: a timely template for national food guidesby Elizabeth Dean on October 18, 2024
CONCLUSION: The Universal Food Guide that serves as a template for national food guides is both urgent and timely given the well-documented health-harming influences that corporate stakeholders/politicians and advisory committees with conflicts of interest, exert on national food guides. Such influence contributes to the largely-preventable NCDs and environmental issues. Policy makers, health professionals, and the public need unbiased, scientific evidence as informed by the Universal Food…