Water Filtration

You probably realize that you should not drink unfiltered tap water because of chlorine and other chemicals in the water, but you may not realize that chlorine vapor that is emitted from the water is also a health hazard. Water filtration products vary in their effectiveness, but the best whole house water filters have been found to block nearly 100% of the chlorine so that it can never be vaporized in your home.

Chlorine gas was first used as a chemical weapon in World War I as a respiratory irritant. Whenever you use hot water for a shower for instance chlorine becomes vaporized. Doctors are recommending shower water filters for their patients who have asthma, but a whole house water filter that blocks chlorine would be far more effective.

Another thing about chlorine is that when it is used by water treatment facilities for disinfection, several “by-products” are released into the water. They are referred to as THMs ( chemical solvents ) and one of them is chloroform gas. Only the best whole house water filters block THMs.

Government agencies have announced that there is some level of chloroform gas in most homes in the United States. The main problem they have sited in their reports was showering in chlorinated water.

Unfortunately, if you live just about anywhere in the United States, you have to shower in chlorinated water. Although government agencies recognize the problems related to chlorinated water, they will not go so far as to recommend any particular type or brand of shower or whole house water filter, but what else can you do?

Exposure to low levels of chloroform gas causes dizziness, headaches and fatigue. Chronic or long term exposure to even small amounts of chloroform gas can also cause damage to the liver and kidneys. As stated previously, a whole house water filter that blocks THMs can protect you from the dangers of chloroform exposure, but the problem is that not every whole house water filter can do the job. Some that block chlorine do not block THMs. It’s illogical, since THMs are a by-product of chlorine, but it’s true, just the same.

Other whole house water filters like reverse osmosis systems, for example, do not even block chlorine. So, you have to shop carefully and request certified performance data before you buy any whole house water filter.

Probably the worst thing is that researchers believe that there is a link between certain types of cancer (rectal and breast cancer are two examples) and showering in chlorinated water. Drinking it and inhaling the chemical is of course a problem, but in the shower it is absorbed through the skin. So, chlorine blocking shower and whole house water filters should be considered cancer preventatives.

We go to many lengths to protect ourselves from the big “C”. When you consider what the right whole house water filter can do, the cost seems unimportant. Just remember that all whole house water filters are not the same and a higher priced system is not always the most effective.

An Ezine Article

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