If you haven't been living under a rock for the past few months, you have probably heard the news that there are drugs in our drinking water. By drugs, I mean prescription drugs like mood stabilizers, antibiotics, and anti-convulsants, to name a few. Sure, the concentrations of these drugs in our water are very small but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be alarmed. There is growing concern surrounding this phenomenon for a number of reasons and here are five of them.
1. The federal government doesn't require any testing for drugs in drinking water. Furthermore, there is no legal safety limit for the drugs found in US drinking water. Basically, if you drink tap water you have to realize that you are virtually unprotected and there is absolutely no guarantee that your water is safe.
2. Scientists worry that over decades, consuming this contaminated water can lead to multiple health problems. This is because unlike particular foods, we consume sizable amounts of water on a daily basis. Consuming small amounts of the drugs in our drinking water over a long term period may actually be more harmful than consuming a large dose at one time.
3. Fish with male and female characteristics have been found in bodies of water around the world due to exposure to estrogen-like substances. This has scientists worried about what exposure to similar prescription drugs found in US drinking water could do to humans over time.
4. The investigative report that leaked this news to the media found not only one type of prescription drug in each city's water supply but a few different kinds. These drugs in our drinking water can be even more harmful when they are combined, possibly increasing their potency.
5. Recent laboratory research has shown that small amounts of medication, such as those of the drugs found in US drinking water, affect human cells for the worse. These studies show that when exposed to these drugs, embryonic kidney cells grow too slowly, breast cancer cells proliferate too quickly, and blood cells show biological activity linked to inflammation.
So there you have it. If you are worried about drugs in our drinking water, you have good reason to be. Very little is being done to protect us and the possible consequences to our health are alarming at best.
The only way to ensure that your water supply is clean and safe is to filter it with a carbon block or granular carbon filter. This type of filter is the best technology available for filtering out both organic and synthetic contaminants, including prescription drugs. So what are you waiting for? Start looking for a carbon water filtration system for your home to ensure that the water you drink and use every day is safe and pure.
