Dangers of Beryllium Contamination in Drinking Water

July 15th, 2010

Among the many immensely important facets you must evaluate when searching for a camping water filter is whether it could actually effectually strip away heavily deadly and toxic compounds in your drinking water source. By way of example, will your drinking water filtration system take away beryllium?

Beryllium is another element that has been identified as a contaminant of drinking water. It is an inorganic element that exists in the form of a metal. Like antimony, it is very useful commercially in producing metal alloys like beryllium copper, industrial materials like spot-welding electrodes, windshield frames, brake discs, and support beams. It is also useful in the field of science as it has been utilized in X-ray machines and as a nuclear reactor. It has also been useful in the technology of developing aircrafts since it is used in making several parts of a space shuttle. However, like many other elements, beryllium is not all the way safe. It has its dangers, especially when not handled well and when it is present in your drinking water.

Beryllium naturally occurs in ground water when rocks and soils weather out. It can also come from industrial water waste. Either can cause contamination of beryllium in your drinking water. But, the latter poses much harm since the amount is not controlled anymore and the form of beryllium produced through it is already in waste or scrap form.

Among the industrial processes, coal and fuel combustion creates the most amount of beryllium contamination in water. What happens here is that the combustion releases beryllium into the air. Cities with many factories or combustion companies have high levels of beryllium in their atmospehere. Beryllium then stays in surfaces. When it rains, the beryllium is carried by the rain to the soil. The soil absorbs the element and seeps through the ground water.

Like the usual effects of water contaminants, the immediate part affected by the beryllium intoxication is the respiratory system. It targets the lungs, causing symptoms such as coughing and inflammation of the lungs which will lead to problems in breathing. It can also affect the kidneys and cause gastrointestinal ulcers. When there is kidney failure, subsequent failures of some bodily functions also occur. Waste or toxins from food cannot be regulated due to kidney malfunction. This would cause some problems in releasing the waste from your body, thus increasing the production of toxins in your system. Prolonged exposure to this element can cause many complications. One long-term illness includes cancer of the lungs or of the bones.

In the end, you should always evaluate the make of camping water filter that you plan to pay for. Ensure that it filters out and eradicates destructive compounds including beryllium from your water to drink.

Dangers of Barium Contamination in Drinking Water

July 14th, 2010

One of several immensely important features that you have to inspect while searching for a camping water filter is if it might possibly properly clear away highly harmful and toxic compounds in your standard water source. For instance, will your drinking water filtration strip away barium?

Barium is a white silvery metal widely used in making a wide variety of electric components, fireworks, dyes, and ceramics. It is used in metal alloys, bleaches, and glass. Barium sulfate and barium carbonate, two forms of barium, are often found in nature as underground ore deposits. And, they are few of the many contaminants found in drinking water, though only in small amounts.

Exposure to such contaminants has health effects depending on the specific barium compound and amount of exposure especially those barium compounds that can be dissolved in water. Among such compounds are barium carbonate, barium sulfide, and barium hydroxide. Also soluble in water are the compounds barium acetate, barium nitrate, and barium chloride.

Drinking a small amount of water containing barium for a short period of time may cause you to experience increase in blood pressure, difficulties in breathing, stomach irritation, muscle weakness, and swelling in the brain, as well as changes in heart rhythm, nerve reflexes and in blood. Damage to different organs like the heart, kidney, liver, and spleen is also a possible side effect. Studies also showed that when exposed to a fairly large amount, you may experience serious adverse health effects like paralysis or death in few individuals. Though, there is no reliable information concerning whether barium compounds may cause cancer or birth defects.

Studies about barium’s possible detrimental effects to human health were done using experimental animals rather than human subjects. Rats that drank and ate barium over a short time had swelling and irritation of the intestines, build-up of fluid in the trachea, decrease in body weight, changes in organs, and increased number of mortalities. Those rats that drank and ate barium for a long period of time showed an increase in blood pressure. The functioning and chemistry of their heart also changed. Experimental rats that ingested barium over a long period of time also died earlier than their normal lifespan.

Contaminants in drinking water do not only consist of different barium compounds but also other toxic metals like copper, lead and so on. To detect if you have contaminated water, it is best if you ask your local government to test your water supplies. It is always better to be vigilant when the health of you and your family is at risk. It is also important that you protect yourself with water treatment facilities.

In conclusion, be certain to review the make of camping water filter that you would like to choose. Ensure that it filters out and even removes nasty substances such as barium from your water.

Dangers of Asbestos Contamination in Drinking Water

July 13th, 2010

Among the many crucial elements that you ought to evaluate when evaluating a camping water filter is whether it is able to efficiently take away highly poisonous and toxic agents in your standard water supply. As an example, will your drinking water filtration system clear up asbestos?

Asbestos is an amazing mineral composed of elements similar to that of sand. Asbestos-made materials are lightweight, flexible, and fireproof. Asbestos has been excavated and used since the late 1800s. It was also used in the World War II. After that, asbestos was used in the building and construction business. Asbestos is used for sound absorption, padding, and fireproofing. Also, it was used in the shipbuilding industry.

Although asbestos can help you in many ways, there is also a disadvantage. When you become exposed to asbestos, you are at great risk. Asbestos exposure can cause death to people. It can cause you asbestosis, which is a chronic lung disease that can create coughing, shortness of breath, and long-term harm to the lungs. Asbestos also causes lung cancer when you inhale too much of it. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in the thin membranes along the line of the chest and the abdomen. This is also caused by exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos cement pipelines can produce great amounts of asbestos fibers in your drinking water. The health risks can be traced from asbestos fibers in drinking water and into your food.

Asbestos is used in pipe line insulation so there is the probability of asbestos contamination in water lines. Experiments show that when you ingest asbestos, it can cause other cancers mostly found along the digestive system. Cancer of the larynx, pharynx, and the gastrointestinal tract can be caused by drinking water containing asbestos. Also, the kidney can be damaged when you drink in asbestos. Aside from pipe lines, asbestos can contaminate water through asbestos cement water remnants. However, it is not clear whether inhaled asbestos can moved throughout the body causing cancers in other body parts aside from the lungs.

There are methods that can reduce the amount of asbestos present in your drinking water. If the source of contamination is your asbestos cement pipe containing acidic water, you should correct the acidity of the water in your pipes. Standard or improved filtration processes are very effective in reducing the amount of asbestos in your water.

So, you should definitely check closely the make of camping water filter that you mean to buy. Make certain it filters out as well as removes undesirable substances like asbestos from your very own water to drink.

Dangers of Arsenic Contamination in Drinking Water

July 12th, 2010

On the list of very important factors you’ll want to evaluate when evaluating a camping water filter is whether or not it does effectually eliminate potentially dangerous and toxic agents in your drinking water source. For instance, does your water filtration system take out arsenic?

Drinking water is essential human health. Without it you may not be able to quench your thirst. But, the drinking water that you have is not at all times safe for drinking. There are some dangers that you have to face regarding the safety of your drinking water. Chemical contamination is one.

There are several water contaminants that can be fatal and dangerous to your health. Arsenic, for example, is one of the leading contaminants of water. It is said to enter supplies of water from natural earth deposits, or from industrial or agricultural pollution.

Arsenic has many uses. In the manufacture of glass, it is used in the elimination of impurities brought about by iron compounds. It is also added to lead in order for it to harden. Not only that, it is also being used in the manufacture of poison gases that are used by the military. Arsenic even had medicinal uses before penicillin was introduced to the world.

Yet, even though this side of arsenic is benevolent, it can also cause contamination. This contamination may be present in water that is supplied by systems that contain in them average levels of arsenic. In most cases, arsenic is a frequent contaminant of water. Arsenic is highly poisonous even when in doses of greater than one grain of it. It is said to be four times as poisonous as mercury. Even just by inhalation of arsenic compounds, poisoning can take place.

When present in drinking water, this can really cause a number of defects and serious problems. Studies have been made regarding arsenic contamination of water. The studies found a variety of effects on humans that arsenic can bring.

If you drink water that is contaminated with arsenic, you are sure to be in real harm. Cancer is just one of the problems that you would possibly encounter if you drink arsenic-contaminated water, as arsenic is a carcinogen. Protracted exposure to arsenic via drinking water can cause many kinds of cancer: bladder, lung, skin, liver and kidney cancer. Not only that, drinking water contaminated with arsenic can also cause birth defects and reproductive problems.

Also, as studies point out, it is found to bring harm to the central and peripheral nervous systems and to the blood vessels, as well. Being tasteless and odorless, it cannot be detected as you drink the contaminated water. Effects are also not immediately visible and would depend on how much the intake is. Arsenic contamination in drinking water may compromise the immune function of a person. It affects almost all the person’s organs and indeed can cause some serious and fatal diseases.

Due to the contaminants that may be present in drinking water, it really is very important to be very watchful of what you take in. You should not drink contaminated water, or make sure that you filter your water or treat it with purification tablets properly.

In the end, be sure you appraise the type of camping water filter that you like to order. Be sure it filters out and removes nasty substances such as arsenic out of your drinking water.

Dangers of Antimony Contamination in Drinking Water

July 9th, 2010

Among the most important issues you’ll want to check when you are evaluating a camping water filter is whether it is able to fully strip away highly noxious and toxic chemical substances in your drinking water resource. By way of example, will your drinking water filtration eliminate antimony?

Antimony is a metallic element which can exist as a silvery metal or a gray powder. This element is practically used in lead alloys, paint, ceramics, glass, and industrial processes such as manufacturing of semiconductors. Extraction can include mining like gold, since it is present in ores. But, antimony is also freely present in the environment. In fact, small amounts are present in the soil and perhaps readily adsorbed by groundwater.

Antimony has been of great use to humans. However, like any other element, some threats to human health have also been identified and related to the element. This element has been one of the known water contaminants. Immediate results of intoxication include headaches, coughing, troubled sleep, and even vertigo. These are usually similar to the effects of arsenic water contamination, so it would not be easy to pinpoint easily which element is the culprit.

Since it can exist as a powdery substance, inhaling it would cause irritation of the respiratory system. More or less the same effect occurs when too much antimony is contained in your drinking water.

Prolonged exposure to antimony could lead to lung cancer, liver damage, and other respiratory tract-related diseases. It also irritates your gastrointestinal mucosa and would cause you to vomit, experience nausea, and mild to severe diarrhea.

Other symptoms of antimony contamination include abdominal cramps. Among women, it has been discovered that continuous intake of antimony-contaminated water can cause premature birth. What is worse is that it can also contribute to spontaneous abortions among pregnant women.

The reproductive and respiratory systems are not the only ones affected. Antimony intoxication can also affect the eyes and lead to optic nerve destruction and retinal bleeding. Other long-term effects of overexposure to this element include increase in blood cholesterol and decrease in blood sugar.

Aside from the natural occurrence of antimony in ground water which is made into drinking water, the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or plastic bottles in storing drinking water could add to the intoxication. Antimony is used in producing these plastic bottles. When exposed to unlikely conditions like too much heat, intoxication level might go up, increasing the risk of your drinking water’s unsafeness. However, there have been standards monitoring the maximum level of contamination by antimony. Proper agencies are making sure that these set standards are followed.

To conclude, definitely appraise the brand of camping water filter that like to spend money on. Make certain that it filters out or takes away noxious chemicals such as antimony from your very own water supply.

Health Effects of Chlorine and Chlorine Dioxide in Drinking Water

July 8th, 2010

To protect people from ingesting contaminated water filled with harmful bacteria and other microorganisms, chlorine dioxide is added to drinking water by water supply companies, as chlorine dioxide is said to be very effective in reducing the risk of water waterborne diseases. People who have no access to the public water supply, however, rely on water purification methods such as purification tablets, or home water purification or camping water filter systems.

In more than a century, the addition of chlorine has greatly improved the safety of the drinking water supply in many parts of the world. And to this day, chlorine or chlorine dioxide has been the most commonly used drinking water disinfectant and the perfect solution in ensuring that the water you drink is free of microorganisms that can cause serious and life-threatening diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera. But the question is, will drinking water containing chlorine be really safe to drink?

Numerous concerns still arise with regards to the effects of ingesting chlorine-filled water to our health. An experiment was conducted using chlorine in the drinking water of chickens. The result was that 95% of the chickens given chlorine-laced distilled water developed atherosclerosis within a few months. It was then concluded by Dr. Joseph Price, M.D., author of the book published in the 60′s entitled Coronaries Cholesterol, that the primary and essential cause of atherosclerosis is chlorine.

Chlorine is also linked to the development of cancer. All chemical disinfectants have byproducts that can definitely affect your health. The byproduct of chlorine, trihalomethanes (THM’s) or haloforms, contains such carcinogens as chloroforms, bischlorthane, etc. Lab animals that were exposed to high levels of THM’s have an increased risk of cancer. Recent studies found a link between cancer and chlorine, showing an increased risk of bladder and possibly colon cancer in people who drank chlorinated water for at least 35 years.

A study in California found that pregnant woman who drank large amounts of water containing high THMs had an increased risk of miscarriage, though this study does not prove the link between miscarriage and high level of THM. However, this only proved the need for further investigation and research regarding this area to confirm the possible risk on pregnant women.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the scientific data shows that the benefits of chlorinating water far outweigh the risks associated with THM’s and other byproducts. It is not whether THM’s are carcinogenic, but rather, whether the average person is ingesting enough THM’s through drinking chlorinated water for THM’s to be considered a risk.

Water is very important in the body that it is advisable to drink plenty of it, but is also important to make sure that the water you drink is safe. There are actually different ways to eliminate THM’s. You can reduce the said byproduct by boiling your water, putting the water in a jug after boiling, and letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight or aerating drinking water in a blender. Home water filtration or the use of a camping water filter is also one of the most effective methods, especially with the use of carbon and ceramic filters.

Health Effects of Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) in Drinking Water

July 7th, 2010

Haloacetic Acids is a group of substances included in the list of by-products or residues of water treatment. Its formation occurs when chemicals like chlorine are applied to the water supply to strip it of pollutants and make it potable. Most of the recent home water purifier or camping water filter systems are able to strip of these acids and other pollutants from any water source.

The components of the haloacetic acids group are monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, and dibromoacetic acid. Generally, they have the ability to deactivate pathogens present in underground water. They secure the sanity of treated drinking water during transportation from its source to the final destination–the end users.

Effects that have been found during laboratory experiments included the conclusion that water treatment by-products are carcinogenic. Moreover, like chlorite, they also cause developmental hazards. One concrete example for this is the deterioration of the development of brain cells among fetuses and babies. This effect has been found the same among pregnant women. The ability to bear healthy offspring is also affected by the by-products. Miscarriage is another effect that could highly occur in women drinking water with too much haloacetic acids.

This by-product group has also been related to an increase in the risk of cancer. The parts easily affected by over exposure to haloacetic acids are the kidney, liver and nervous system. Studies have also shown that the harmful effects worsen as a person continuously gets exposed to increasing amounts of these by-products.

Unfortunately, the body easily absorbs these by-products. Upon absorption, haloacetic acids are carried by the bloodstream. These acids stay in the blood cells and causes anemia. Another body part which absorbs them easily is the skin. Skin absorption of haloacetic acids could cause skin irritation and dryness. Their effects extend to the hair proteins. They mix up with protein in your hair strands and cause them damage, making your hair dull and brittle.

Standards of the amount that can be absorbed have been set by the government. Suppliers of drinking water and companies doing the treatments have been made aware of these regulations to assure safety of the public. To ensure your and your family’s safety, you should know well your supplier of drinking water. And, for additional water safety, purify your home drinking water with a water purifier or a camping water filter.

Health Effects of Chlorite in Drinking Water

July 6th, 2010

Drinking water is mostly obtained from deep wells or underground reservoirs. Considering the location of the source, the presence of unwanted substances could not be denied. That is why it needs to undergo treatment to make it potable. When you are directly obtaining drinking water from such sources, you should use a camping water filter to treat the water. In the case of water distributed through the public water supply system, water treatment is done by applying chlorine dioxide to the water supply. The natural process accomplished by the said chemical filters out pollutants, especially germs which usually affect the taste and odor of ground water.

The sanitary effects of chlorine dioxide or chlorite on water last only up to 48 hours or two days. This is longer than the effects that plain chlorine can provide. The time that it takes for chlorine dioxide to ensure sanitation of the water is only up to the water’s extraction and transport. However, chlorite which is its residue, helps keep the water clean for a longer period until such time that it is distributed to the final user–that is, the ones who will be drinking the water. There is a standard amount set by proper authorities. This standard should be strictly followed to avoid causing harmful effects to the human body whenever the chemical is applied in excessive amounts.

Some of the most common side effects of chlorine dioxide and chlorite are nervous system impairment, anemia, and brain damage. It could also cause irritation of some vital parts of the digestive and respiratory systems including the stomach, esophagus, and mouth. Chlorite, being a residue of chlorine dioxide, dries up the said body parts where its particles are absorbed. A person over-exposed to chlorite for a long period of time may experience chest pains, breathing problems, and even water-retention in the lungs. Brain development among fetus and babies is affected to different extents.

Just like chlorine, chlorite plays a detrimental role in body metabolism especially if it is present in excessive amounts. Over exposure to it makes skin dry, flaky, and irritated. It also damages the protein present in the hair, thus making the hair dry and brittle. In worst cases, chlorite absorbed by the body in excess have been linked to cancers (e.g., of the bladder, liver, stomach, rectum, or colon), heart disease, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure.

If you want to avoid ingesting chlorite along with your drinking water, you can use a home water purifier for your household drinking water and a camping water filter for potable water when you go on camping trips.

Health Effects of Chloramines in Drinking Water

July 5th, 2010

Since the twenty-first century, the smell and flavor of drinking water have been improved with the use of chloramines. Chloramine, also known as monochloramine, is a compound formed from ammonia and chlorine. It is said to be useful for treating water but also harmful to certain types of people. That is why a lot of people want to get rid of chloramine by using a camping water filter.

Chloramines are used for disinfection. Water disinfected by chloramines does not cause a grave threat to your health. Water disinfected with chloramines can be used for drinking, bathing, and washing. It is also suited for any domestic purposes.

Drinking water containing chloramines or using it for boiling and bathing is rather safe because chloramines are neutralized in metabolism. Others, however, claim that there are harmful effects of chloramines in drinking water. People who have weaker immune systems like young toddlers, older people, people who are infected with HIV, and people who undergo chemotherapy should be cautious with drinking chloramine-laced water.

Furthermore, people who undergo kidney dialysis should be careful. Their blood comes in contact with water in a semi-permeable membrane which can cause chloramines to directly enter the blood vessels. This is harmful to the person because chloramines are toxic to the blood. Chloramines affect fish similarly as people who undergo kidney dialysis.

One of the many reasons why chloramine is better than chlorine is that its chemicals are rather more stable than that of chlorine. These chemicals do not easily break down unlike chlorine. However, there is a limit of chloramine concentration in drinking water. The Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level or MRDL of chloramine concentration should be up to 4mg/L only. Even though chloramine-treated water is safe to drink and use, its MRDL should not exceed the standard. Drinking water with excess chloramines could cause anemia and stomach distress. Chloramine in water can cause leakage of lead in water pipes, too. This poses as a threat to your health when lead contaminates your water supply.

Despite harmful effects which chloramine might bring, you really need it in your water supply. Water supplies may be contaminated by harmful bacteria. Chloramine in water helps in disinfecting water with bacteria, thus, making it safer.

Without chloramines in your drinking water, you could suffer from typhoid, hepatitis, and cholera from a dirty water supply. As long as you know the limit to the chloramines concentration in water and keeping it at that level, you will be safe from diseases and infections. Though, to be safe, there’s no harm in completely removing chloramines from your drinking water either. For this latter case, you can use a camping water filter or a home water filter.

Why Legionella Makes Water Unhealthy

July 2nd, 2010

Water is very important. It gives life to all living things. Survival rules say that you can last for three weeks without food but only three days without drinking or taking in water. That is why when outdoor enthusiasts, backpackers, and campers go on an adventure trip, one of the most important things they bring are food and a camping water filter.

Clean water means healthy body. The presence of some specific microbodies affects the body of the person. The very common effect is disease. People who drink bad water, i.e., dirty water or contaminated water, acquire water-borne diseases, of which there are many. Legionella is one such microbial contaminant.

Legionella is a bacterium that caused the outbreak in 1976 where 29 people who attended the Legionnaire’s convention in Philadelphia died. This microorganism lives in standing or stagnant water sources like ponds, wells, etc. The scientific name of Legionella is Legionella pneumophila and it causes a respiratory infection called Pontiac fever. It is also responsible for Legionnaire’s disease.

Legionella can be acquired not just by drinking contaminated by water but also by spreading as an aerosol. This means that the bacteria are contained in small water droplets we do not see. It can also get into your body through skin contact.

Pontiac fever like a mild flu illness, thought it is not flu exactly. This is caused by legionella bacteria. Symptoms of this illness include fever, headache, and muscle aches. This fever however, different from Legionnaires’ disease, does not cause or develop into pneumonia. Without treatment, the patient will be okay within two to three days.

Legionnaires’ disease is another affliction caused by Legionella. It is an acute respiratory infection whose symptoms include the following: pain in the chest, blood present during coughing, fever, gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain, feeling of discomfort or uneasiness, headache, pain in the joints, poor body coordination, lowering of energy in the body, stiffness and pain in the muscles, chills, and difficulty in breathing or gasping for air.

Because of Pontiac fever and Legionnaire’s disease, Legionalla is dangerous to the body. These can kill people and rob them off their lives if left untreated. Thus, it is always a healthy idea to drink only bacteria-free water by using a water filtration treatment at home or a camping water filter when outdoors.