As we told you in a previous blog post, The New York Times reports that during one five-year period alone more than 60 million Americans were exposed to drinking water that didn't fulfill at least one often-used governmental health guideline. We recently discussed the possible health effects of arsenic, coliform bacteria and copper if found in drinking water. Now let's take a look at the potential risks of a few more contaminants, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
- Lead: Babies and children who consume lead in their drinking water may become developmentally delayed. In adults, lead consumption can cause high blood pressure and kidney issues. Like copper, lead can leach into your tap water from household pipes. That means that even if your local water supply doesn't show any lead presence in testing, you could still be at risk.
- Nitrate: According to the EPA, babies that consume too much nitrate in their drinking water could become very sick and may even die. Symptoms can include shortness of breath, irritability, lethargy and possibly "blue baby syndrome," which is when an infant's skin turns a bluish-gray tint. According to the EPA, only reverse osmosis water filters and distillation units can remove nitrates. (Ordinary carbon water filters won't be effective!)
- Uranium: Uranium may cause kidney damage in humans. However, at least some uranium is allowed in tap water. According to analysis by The New York Times, in places like Millville, New Jersey, Pleasantville, New Jersey, and Edmond, Oklahoma, trace amounts have been detected in tap water, but not in quantities that are illegal. The EPA recommends reverse osmosis filters for removing uranium from drinking water.
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