The human body is about two-thirds water. It is important
to drink pristine water with the proper pH. pH readings from
water vary according to amounts of minerals, contamination,
and the amount of nitric acid, carbonic acid, sulphuric
acid, and formic acid in the water. Pure uncontaminated
water (without minerals) has a pH of 7.0.
Acid rain, acid fogs, and
acid snow directly and indirectly affect our health.
Breathing acid fogs can damage our respiratory system;
acidic waters contain , higher than average levels of heavy
metals, and caustic acids that change the pH of the human
body. Drinking these waters can cause many serious diseases.
Acid rain is produced when nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide,
and carbon dioxide gas in the upper atmosphere react with
water particles to produce nitric acid, sulphuric acid, and
carbonic acid respectively. Unpolluted rainfall normally has
an acidic pH of about 6.5, whilst acid rain has a pH of
between 4.1 to 5.1.
Rain water was naturally slightly acidic (pH 6.5) because it
contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas. This forms a small
amount of carbonic acid.
The word equation is:
carbon dioxide + water = carbonic acid
When we burn fossil fuels (especially coal), sulphur dioxide
is made and released into the air. When sulphur dioxide
dissolves in rain water it makes sulphuric acid.
Sulphur dioxide + water = sulphuric acid
Sulfuric Acid is actually a mixture of acids in high
concentrations. It was named because it is almost the only
liquid that will dissolve gold and platinum to any
noticeable extent.
Sulphuric acid is much stronger than carbonic acid -- it is
Extreme Corrosive and it
causes damage to rocks, animals and plants.
Sulfuric Acid
can cause severe burns to all body tissue. May be fatal if
swallowed or contacted with skin. Harmful if inhaled.
Affects teeth. Cancer hazard. Strong inorganic acid mists
containing sulfuric acid can cause cancer.
Nitrous oxides reacts with water vapor and sunlight to form
to form nitric acid. Nitric acid is a highly corrosive and
toxic acid that can cause severe burns.
Nitrous oxides + water + sunlight = Nitric acid
Nitric acid is cancerous
causing agent. It is also a powerful dehydrating agent, so
powerful that much of the damage it does to the human body
is because it pulls water even out of other molecules in
chemical reactions.
Rain is for the most part low in minerals and high in
carbonic acid (due to our environment problems it can
contain too much carbonic acid and contain sulphuric acid
and nitric acid
from oil and gas industries and active volcanoes).
Apart from emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
from the combustion of fossil fuels, there are also other
substances which contribute to acid rain formation. These
include hydrochloric acid and organic carboxylic acids.
These organic acids include acetic acid and formic acid and
are formed when volatile organic compounds (VOC's) are
oxidised in the air.
Formic acid is readily metabolized and eliminated by the
body. Nonetheless, some chronic effects have been
documented. Some animal experiments have demonstrated it to
be a mutagen, and chronic exposure may cause liver or kidney
damage. Another possibility with chronic exposure is
development of a skin allergy that manifests upon
re-exposure to the chemical.
The carbonic acid in rain water also exists in natural
healthy river water as long the temperature remains at 4
degrees C. Natural levels of carbonic acid in rain water
help to create an ionic solution of minerals within the
soil.
When acid rain falls on to the soil, it is taken into plants
and trees. This causes the plants to die as they cannot live
in acidic conditions. This can wipe out large areas of
forest. When it falls into lakes. It causes the acidity of
the lakes water to increase. This causes fish and other
animals to die.
Acid rain can also cause damage to certain building
materials and historical monuments. Acid rain can cause
erosion on ancient and valuable statues and has caused
considerable damage. This is because the sulfuric acid in
the rain chemically reacts with the calcium in the stones
(limestone, sandstone, marble and granite) to create gypsum,
which then flakes off. Acid rain also causes an increased
rate of oxidation for iron. Visibility is also reduced by
sulfate and nitrate in the atmosphere.
One of the many serious impacts of acid rain is on forests
and soils. A lot of harm is caused when sulphuric acid falls
to the earth as rain. Nutrients in the soil, which plants
and animals need to survive, are washed away. Not all of the
sulphur dioxide is turned into sulphuric acid, and in fact,
lots of it can float in the atmosphere, move over to another
area, and return to the soils, still as sulphur dioxide.
This gas can then clog up the leaves of the plants, and stop
them from making their own food using sunlight
(photosynthesising).
Soil biology can be seriously damaged by acid rain. Some
tropical microbes can quickly consume acids, but other types
of microbe are unable to tolerate low pHs and are killed.
The enzymes of these microbes are denatured (changed in
shape so they no longer function) by the acid. The hydronium
ions of acid rain also mobilize toxins and leach away
essential nutrients and minerals from the soil.
Another problem which is caused by acid rain is that some
poisonous (toxic) metals which are dissolved into the rain
water can be absorbed by fruit, vegetables and sometimes
even through the skin of animals. Although this may not
affect the animal very much, it is a problem for us when we
eat them. Chemicals such as mercury which collect in the
organs of animals can be very nasty if taken into the body,
because mercury has been linked to brain damage in children,
as well as nervous disorders and even death. Also another
metal, aluminium, which can be found in the bodies of
animals, has been linked to kidney problems and recently it
has been suggested that it may lead to an illness called
Alzheimer's.
Acid rain can leach aluminium from the soil into ground
water, lakes and rivers, poisoning fish and plant roots.
Most rain, distilled, and purified bottled waters (without
minerals) now have a pH of 5.5 to 4.2. Consuming nitric
acid, carbonic acid, sulphuric acid, and formic acid at
these levels is basically consuming poison.
Acid rain is eating up building and monuments, it has
changed the pH of the ocean, rivers, and lakes. Acid rain
causes a cascade of effects that harm or kill individual
fish, reduce fish population numbers, completely eliminate
fish species from a waterbody, and decrease biodiversity..
Think of the effects it has on the human body! It can be
difficult to balance the urinary pH of people consuming
water loaded with nitric acid, carbonic acid, sulphuric
acid, and formic acid. Even if you balance the pH these
acids play havoc on the body.
Normal adult humans eating Western diets already have
chronic, low-grade metabolic acidosis; the severity of which
is compounded in part by the consumption of acid rain. To
prevent or reverse age-related sequelae of such acidosis (eg,
bone and muscle loss), methods are needed for regulating pH.
Because nitric acid, carbonic acid, sulphuric acid, and
formic acid at these levels change the pH of the human body,
we must eliminate them from the water we drink. Distilling
water or running it through reverse osmosis will not remove
the acid from the water; it must be ionized.
To get pristine water first you must ionize the water (with
an activated carbon filter), then steam distill the water.
Ionizing water removes most of the caustic nitric acid,
carbonic acid, sulphuric acid, and formic acid, carbon
filtration removes most of the chlorine, steam distillation
removes 99% of the toxic waste that the ionizer's
insufficient filter misses.
Charging or energizing water. The simplest energizing method
is to expose pristine water to sunshine for several hours or
days. When charging drinking water, be aware that prana does
not appear to flow or radiate through glass. Therefore it is
preferable to energize water in high-quality plastic
container or an open or plastic-covered ceramic bowel.
Most of the time we add
E3Live to the water we drink. E3Live has over 64
vitamins and naturally cheated minerals that are 97%
absorbed by the body. It is enzyme active. It is Certified
Organic and it arrives "alive" in frozen form.
Get an ice tray that makes mini ice cubes, thaw out the
E3Live and make E3Live ice cubes. Drop one or two E3Live
ice cubes in each bottle of water you are going to drink for
the day. The result is simply pristine water with soluble
minerals, vitamins, and live enzymes.
We add sodium bicarbonate to the water we drink.
Sodium bicarbonate is a major element in our body.
Secreted by the stomach, it is necessary for digestion. When
ingested, for example, with mineral water, it helps buffer
lactic acid generated during exercise and also reduces the
acidity of dietary components. Finally, it has a prevention
effect on dental cavities.
We also use
Crystal Pearls to restructure the water. You can put
Crystal Pearls in the bottom of your ceramic water dispenser
or in the ceramic bowl you energize the water in.
Our bodies obtain oxygen when we breathe. However, what
many of us do not know is that we also obtain oxygen from
the water we drink. However, because the water most of us
drink is stagnant—it is deficient in oxygen. If you shake a
bottle of water before you drink it you oxygenate the water.
Pristine E3Live Water will:
-
Increase cellular hydration and revitalization
-
Increase oxygenation at the cellular level
-
Enhance endurance and reduced recovery time from
strenuous exercise
-
Free-radical neutralization and cleansing
-
Help balance your pH
-
Ingesting live enzymes and nutrients
-
Boost immune system support and greater metabolic
balance
-
Better nutrient absorption
There are recent studies that point out that drinking
distilled water, water run through reverse osmosis, or any
water with nitric acid, carbonic acid, sulphuric acid, and
formic acid over long periods can be harmful to our
health. Consumption of acids at these levels in water is not
natural.
There are a lot of bogus claims about ionized water having a
high pH. Pure water has a pH of 7.0. Water ionizers do
remove most of the acids, however, you get a false pH
reading from the ionized minerals (smaller minerals [organic
and inorganic]).
After the water is ionized and run through a carbon filter
and then distilled, it has a ph around 7.0.
(pH test the filthy ionized concentrated water sediment left
in the bottom of the distiller and you will see the organic
and inorganic substances that give the water a false pH
reading).
Effects of Acid Rain
Acid Rain
We do not recommend habitually drinking crude city tap
water, filtered water, distilled water, or bottled
water—because they are generally loaded with nitric acid,
carbonic acid, sulphuric acid, and formic acid. Even if the
water appears to have a high pH it is almost for sure a
false pH reading due the mineral content and it is still
more likely than not to be loaded with acids. Alkalizing
drops do not change the pH of the water they just give it a
false pH reading, the nitric acid, carbonic acid, sulphuric
acid, and formic acid acid are still there. These acids
will still play havoc in the human body. Think of all the
minerals in the oceans, and carbonic acid still changed its
pH.
Furthermore, most water other than distilled or ultra
purified water have many particles, including toxic heavy
metals, inorganic hard-to-assimilate minerals, nitrates,
sulfates, and pesticides; cancer-causing agents, undesirable
bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and taste-and-odor
contaminants.
Our most common source of energized water is the water
content of fresh raw fruit and vegetables. One more reason
to drink fresh squeezed juice and eat fruit and vegetables
fresh and raw as much as possible.
The human body, like a complex machine, requires many
inter-related things to remain in balance. Today's
environment, lifestyles, pollution and stress make that a
difficult task.
Common contaminants found in public water, potential health
effects and the type of water filters that are capable of
removing them
REV 8:10-11
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star
from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the
third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third
part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the
waters, because they were made bitter.
The following are common contaminants found in public
water, their potential health effects and the type of water
filters that are capable of removing them:
2,4,5TP: This is an herbicide that is used on crops
and right-of-way areas. It can cause liver and kidney
damage. The maximum contaminant level is 0.05mg/L. A water
filter that removes Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) will
remove this compound. NSF standard 53.
2,4-D: This is an herbicide used on wheat, corn,
range lands and lawns. The maximum amount allowed in public
water is 0.07mg/L. Like the above herbicide it causes liver
and kidney damage. A charcoal/carbon filter (Standard 53)
that removes VOCs will remove this contaminant.
Alachor: This is an herbicide used on corn, soybeans
and other crops. The maximum amount allowed in public water
is 0.002 mg/L. It is a carcinogen (i.e. it causes cancer). A
carbon/ charcoal filter Standard 53, that removes VOCs will
remove this contaminant
Arsenic: This is a heavy metal. It comes from
smelters, glass and electronic wastes as well as from
orchards and natural deposits. The maximum contaminant level
for arsenic is 0.010 mg/L. Its potential health hazards
include skin and nervous system toxicity. Arsenic is found
in water in two different forms: pentavalent (also known as
Arsenic 5 or arsenate) and Trivalent (Arsenic 3 or Arsenite).
Chlorine converts trivalent to pentvalent arsenic.
Carbon/charcoal, reverse osmosis filters as well as
distillation will remove this contaminant. Distillation will
remove trivalent and pentvalent arsenic, while reverse
osmosis will remove pentvalent only. Look for Standards 53,
58, or 62.
Asbestos: This contaminant comes from natural
deposits and asbestos cement used in water systems. The
maximum contaminant level is 7 million fibers per liter. It
is a serious carcinogen. Carbon/charcoal and reverse osmosis
remove this contaminant.
Atrazine: This is an herbicide used on corn and on
non crop land. It can cause mammary gland tumors. Its
maximum contaminant level is 0.003 mg/L. Carbon/charcoal
standard 53 filters will remove this contaminant. It is part
of the VOC category.
Bacteria: Bacteria are not supposed to be found in
our public waters. But occasionally they may contaminate the
water we drink. Sources are naturally occurring or from
human or animal wastes. Most of them cause gastrointestinal
disorders. Ultraviolet treatment is usually necessary for
removal of these contaminants, or look for NSF standard 55
filters. Class A inactivates or removes microorganisms from
contaminated water (not raw sewage) and class B disinfection
systems remove naturally occurring organisms found in public
waters that are deemed non-pathogenic.
Barium: This is a found in natural deposits, epoxy
sealants, pigments and spent coal. Its maximum contaminant
level is 2 mg/L. It can potentially affect the circulatory
system. Cation exchange softeners, reverse osmosis and
distillation will remove barium. Look for standards 44, 58
and 62.
Cadmium: This is found in galvanized pipe corrosion,
natural deposits, batteries and paints. It primarily effects
the kidneys. Its maximum contaminant level is 0.005 mg/L.
Reverse osmosis, distillation remove it. Standards 58 and 62
Carbonic Acid: H2CO3, a weak dibasic acid formed
when carbon dioxide dissolves in water. It is also a name
sometimes given to solutions of carbon dioxide in water.
Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are
emitted into the atmosphere, undergo chemical
transformations and are absorbed by water droplets in
clouds. The droplets then fall to earth as rain, snow, or
sleet. This increases the acidity of the soil, and it
affects the chemical balance of lakes, streams, animals, and
people. Reverse osmosis, distillation, carbon/charcoal
filters will not remove it, water needs to be ionized.
Carbufuran: This is a soil fumigant used on corn
and cotton. It effects the nervous reproductive systems. Its
maximum contaminant level is 0.04 mg/L. Carbon/charcoal
standard 53 remove this. It is part of the VOC category.
Chloramine: The effects of this contaminant are
unknown. It is used as a disinfectant. The maximum
recommended usage level is 4 mg/L. Carbon/charcoal filters,
standard 42 remove this contaminant. Systems certified for
reduction of chlorine will not necessarily be effective
against chloramines.
Chlordane: This is used for treating termites.
Maximum contaminant level is 0.002. It can cause cancer.
Carbon/charcoal filters, Standard 53 will remove this
contaminant.
Chlorides: Cause water to taste salty. Maximum
contaminant level is 250 mg/L. These come from natural
deposits. Reverse osmosis and distillation may remove these.
Chlorine: This is used for disinfection of drinking
water. The chlorination by-products (trihalomethanes) have
potential health effects. Carbon/charcoal standard 42
filters will remove chlorine. Contact your local water
utility to determine if chlorine or chloramines are used to
disinfect your water.
Chlorination by-Products (trihalomethanes): These are
by-products of chlorination in drinking water and they are
carcinogenic. The maximum contaminant level is 0.08 mg/L.
Carbon/charcoal standard 53 filters are effective at
reducing these contaminants.
Chromium: This is a by-product of mining,
electroplating, pigments and from natural deposits. It can
be present in water in forms: hexavalent (chromium 6) and
trivalent (chromium 3). It can cause liver, kidney and
circulatory disorders. Reverse osmosis and distillation
Standards 53,58 and 62 remove chromium.
Copper: From natural and industrial deposits, wood
preservatives, and plumbing. It may leach from residential
plumbing. The maximum contaminant level is 1.3 mg/L. It can
cause gastrointestinal irritation. Charcoal/carbon, reverse
osmosis, and distillation, Standards 42, 58 and 62 remove
this contaminant.
Crytosporidium: This is a parasite that is found in
food or water contaminated with human or animal waste. It
can cause gastrointestinal illness. Although public water
should not have any cryptosporidium in it, it is not
uncommon to see people in the Portland area test positive on
stool test for it. Standard 53, 58 and 55 water filters
should remove it. Look for a filter capable of removing
spores < 1 micron
-dichlorobenzene: part of the VOC category. From
paints, engine cleaning compounds, dyes, chemical wastes.
Causes liver, kidney and blood cell damage. Carbon block
standard 53 removes.
Hepatochlor Epoxide: A degradation product of
heptachlor which is used in insectides, particularly for
termite eradication. It is a carcinogen. Allowable amount is
0.0002 mg/L. Carbon block, standard 53 removes this. This
contaminant is part of the VOC category.
Hydrogen sulfide: causes the rotten egg odor in
water. It is a naturally occurring chemical in water. Carbon
block, standard 42 filters remove it.
Iron: Maximum allowable amount is 0.3mg/L. It can
stain laundry, plumbing and appliances. It is from natural
deposits in the water. Carbon/charcoal filter, standard 42
will remove it.
MTBE: From gasoline spills, underground gas tank
leakages. The potential health effects are still under
investigation by the EPA. Carbon block, standard 53 will
remove it.
Nitrite: Can cause methemoglobulinemia (blue baby
syndrome). From animal waste, fertilizer, natural deposits,
septic tanks, sewage. Maximum allowable level is 1 mg/L. It
rapidly converts to nitrate. Reverse osmosis, standard 53,
58, 62 remove this contaminant.
PCBs: from the coolants used in electrical
transformers and plasticizers. PCBs are known carcinogens.
Maximum allowable amount is 0.0005 mg/L. Carbon block
filters, standard 53 remove this contaminant.
Radium: This is a naturally occurring carcinogen. It
can cause bone cancer. Filters that remove it are reverse
osmosis and cation exchange softeners, standard 44 and 58.
Radon: Another naturally occurring contaminant, it is
also a carcinogen and is a risk factor for lung cancer.
Carbon/charcoal and aeration devices remove it. Look for a
standard 53.
Selenium: maximum contaminant level is 0.05 mg/L. It
is from natural deposits, mining, smelting, coal/oil
combustion. Too much selenium can cause liver damage.
Standard 58, 62 reverse osmosis filters will reduce
selenium.
Sulfates: can cause gastrointestinal irritation. They
are naturally occurring. Reverse osmosis or distillation may
be effective at removing.
Styrene: Maximum allowable amount 0.10 mg/L. Styrene
is from plastic, rubber, resin and drug industries. It also
can leach from landfills into the ground water. It causes
liver and nervous system damage.
Taste and odor: From natural sources and additives.
Carbon/charcoal standard 42.
Total dissolved solids: Come from the erosion of
naturally occurring mineral deposits. Can cause
gastrointestinal irritation in some people. Maximum level
should not exceed 500 mg/L. Standard 42, 58, 62
distillation, reverse osmosis remove these.
Toxaphene: A carcinogenic insecticide that was used
on cattle, cotton, and soybeans. Standard 53,
carbon/charcoal filter to remove it.
Trichloroethylene: A carcinogen found in textile,
metal and adhesive degreasers. Carbon/charcoal standard 53
removes it. This is part of the VOC category.
Turbidity: from soil run off, it can interfere with
disinfection and filtration. Charcoal/carbon; reverse
osmosis standards 53, 58 can remove.
Uranium: Causes kidney problems, cancer. A naturally
occurring contaminant. Maximum allowable amount is 0.03
mg/L. Filtration systems are not currently certified to
remove uranium although reverse osmosis, distillation or
anion exchange resins may.
Drinking water, including
bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at
least small amounts of some contaminants. U.S. EPA sets
standards for approximately 90 contaminants in drinking
water. Contaminants are categorized as below and more
detailed information on specific contaminants is also
available.
Microbes
Coliform bacteria are common in the environment and are
generally not harmful. However, the presence of these
bacteria in drinking water is usually a result of a problem
with the treatment system or the pipes which distribute
water, and indicates that the water may be contaminated with
germs that can cause disease.
Fecal Coliform and E coli are bacteria whose presence
indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or
animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term
effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or
other symptoms.
Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can
interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for
microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of
disease causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria,
viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as
nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.
Cryptosporidium is a parasite that enters lakes and rivers
through sewage and animal waste. It causes
cryptosporidiosis, a mild gastrointestinal disease. However,
the disease can be severe or fatal for people with severely
weakened immune systems. EPA and CDC have prepared advice
for those with severely compromised immune systems who are
concerned about Cryptosporidium.
Giardia lamblia is a parasite that enters lakes and rivers
through sewage and animal waste. It causes gastrointestinal
illness (e.g. diarrhea, vomiting, cramps).
Radionuclides
Alpha emitters.
Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit a form of
radiation known as alpha radiation. Some people who drink
water containing alpha emitters in excess of EPA's standard
over many years may have an increased risk of getting
cancer.
Beta/photon emitters. Certain minerals are radioactive and
may emit forms of radiation known as photons and beta
radiation. Some people who drink water containing beta and
photon emitters in excess of EPA's standard over many years
may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
Combined Radium 226/228. Some people who drink water
containing radium 226 or 228 in excess of EPA's standard
over many years may have an increased risk of getting
cancer.
Radon gas can dissolve and accumulate in underground water
sources, such as wells, and in the air in your home.
Breathing radon can cause lung cancer. Drinking water
containing radon presents a risk of developing cancer. Radon
in air is more dangerous than radon in water.
Inorganic Contaminants
Antimony
Asbestos
Barium
Beryllium
Cadmium
Chromium
Copper
Cyanide
Lead
Mercury
Nitrate/Nitrite
Selenium
Thallium
Arsenic. Some people who drink water containing arsenic in
excess of EPA's standard over many years could experience
skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and
may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
Fluoride. Many communities add fluoride to their drinking
water to promote dental health. Each community makes its own
decision about whether or not to add fluoride. EPA has set
an enforceable drinking water standard for fluoride of 4
mg/L (some people who drink water containing fluoride in
excess of this level over many years could get bone disease,
including pain and tenderness of the bones). EPA has also
set a secondary fluoride standard of 2 mg/L to protect
against dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis, in its moderate
or severe forms, may result in a brown staining and/or
pitting of the permanent teeth. This problem occurs only in
developing teeth, before they erupt from the gums. Children
under nine should not drink water that has more than 2 mg/L
of fluoride.
Lead typically leaches into water from plumbing in older
buildings. Lead pipes and plumbing fittings have been banned
since August 1998. Children and pregnant women are most
susceptible to lead health risks. For advice on avoiding
lead, see the how to remove lead in your drinking water fact
sheet prepared by EPA.
Volatile Organic Contaminants (VOCs)
Benzene
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chlorobenzene
o-Dichlorobenzene**
p-Dichlorobenzene
1,1-Dichloroethylene
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
trans-1,2-Dicholoroethylene
Dichloromethane
1,2-Dichloroethane
1,2-Dichloropropane
Ethylbenzene
Styrene
Tetrachloroethylene
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
1,1,1,-Trichloroethane
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
Trichloroethylene
Toluene
Vinyl Chloride
Xylenes
Disinfectants
Many water suppliers add a disinfectant to drinking water to
kill germs such as giardia and e coli. Especially after
heavy rainstorms, your water system may add more
disinfectant to guarantee that these germs are killed.
Chlorine. Some people who use drinking water containing
chlorine well in excess of EPA's standard could experience
irritating effects to their eyes and nose. Some people who
drink water containing chlorine well in excess of EPA's
standard could experience stomach discomfort.
Chloramine. Some people who use drinking water containing
chloramines well in excess of EPA's standard could
experience irritating effects to their eyes and nose. Some
people who drink water containing chloramines well in excess
of EPA's standard could experience stomach discomfort or
anemia.
Chlorine Dioxide. Some infants and young children who drink
water containing chlorine dioxide in excess of EPA's
standard could experience nervous system effects. Similar
effects may occur in fetuses of pregnant women who drink
water containing chlorine dioxide in excess of EPA's
standard. Some people may experience anemia.
Disinfection Byproducts
Disinfection byproducts form when disinfectants added to
drinking water to kill germs react with naturally-occuring
organic matter in water.
Total Trihalomethanes. Some people who drink water
containing trihalomethanes in excess of EPA's standard over
many years may experience problems with their liver,
kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an
increased risk of getting cancer.
Haloacetic Acids. Some people who drink water containing
haloacetic acids in excess of EPA's standard over many years
may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
Bromate. Some people who drink water containing bromate in
excess of EPA's standard over many years may have an
increased risk of getting cancer.
Chlorite. Some infants and young children who drink water
containing chlorite in excess of EPA's standard could
experience nervous system effects. Similar effects may occur
in fetuses of pregnant women who drink water containing
chlorite in excess of EPA's standard. Some people may
experience anemia.
MTBE
MTBE is a fuel additive, commonly used in the United States
to reduce carbon monoxide and ozone levels caused by auto
emissions. Due to its widespread use, reports of MTBE
detections in the nation's ground and surface water supplies
are increasing. The Office of Water and other EPA offices
are working with a panel of leading experts to focus on
issues posed by the continued use of MTBE and other
oxygenates in gasoline. EPA is currently studying the
implications of setting a drinking water standard for
MTBE.Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably
be expected to contain at least small amounts of some
contaminants.
