Arsenic - Which has been directly linked to cancer and many other diseases, has been found in 85% of our cities' water. Exposure to lead found at "alarmingly high levels" in many cities by Consumer Reports, can cause learning and behavioral problems in children, lower IQ, high blood pressure, and problems to the reproductive and nervous systems.
Some other common water contaminants and what they have been linked to are: Asbestos (cancer and other diseases), Aluminum (Alzheimer's), Benzene (cancer, anemia), Mercury (nervous system and kidney damage), Toluene (cancer), herbicides and pesticides such as Endrin (liver, kidney and heart damage, respiratory problems and cancer).
80% of city water systems were not equipped with filters that meet EPA standards. In addition, most cities add the harmful Chlorine and Fluoride to water.
Fluoridated water, which is banned in much of Europe but still common in the US, is linked, according to Preventative Dental Health Association, to cancer and infertility. According to a 1994 study in Journal of American Medica Association, drinking fluoridated water doubles the chances of hip fractures in older people.
Future Bio-terrorist Threat Adds To Current Problems. The Centers For Disease Control warns that "50% of the water purification systems in the country sometimes let through the same parasite (Cryptosporidium) that in 1983 caused illness to half of the population of Milwaukee, WI".
A recent Water Quality Association poll showed that 74% of Americans consider their tap water contaminated or dangerous. 80% don't like the taste. And the following annual figures from the National Resources Defense Council confirm the shocking problem: Every year in the U.S.:
- 900,000 Sick and 900 Dead due to water contamination.
- 50 Million Poisoned by radioactive radon or radium from their tap water.
If you have your own well water, you're not really better off. In fact, most of those on well water have more contaminants per drop than those in cities.
Many are also concerned today by bio-terrorism threat to our water supplies as there are 168,000 different public water supplies in the U.S., many of which are completely unprotected.
No comments:
Post a Comment