You Could Be On Drugs And Not Know It

As the old saying goes, water is life. But if you ever knew how many drugs in drinking water there are, you probably would never use the water in your home again, except for flushing the toilet.

In 1998, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that in the twenty nine major American cities they studied, there were traces of at least one week killer in the drinking water.

These findings are more common than you think. A recent investigation by the Associated Press (AP) found that various types of drugs like acetaminophen, antibiotics, ibuprofen, mood stabilizers and sex hormones were found in water supplies of 41 million Americans across 24 major regions.

Findings like these are not confined to the America. Studies show that in Canada, Europe and Asia, the presence of pharmaceuticals in treated water have become more prevalent.

Now, you might argue that the quantity of drugs found in drinking water are minuscule and that treated water is relatively safe.

However, consider these two facts. Firstly, the EPA maximum water contaminant level regulation is based on what is assumed safe for a 175-pound adult whose drinking water has only one chemical in it.

The problem is that the drugs found in drinking water are many and that over time, drinking this contaminated water builds up a high level of toxicity in the body.

Even when our system is able to rid our bodies of some of this toxicity, the continuous drinking of contaminated water keeps us at risk. Some experts blame the increasing incidence of cancer on this fact.

Even more frightening is the Ralph Nader Research Institute assertion. By their calculation, there are around 21, 000 toxic chemicals that can cause cancer found in the American drinking water supply. Twenty one thousand!

The second thing to consider is that many parents still mix infant formula with tap water. Their bodies are less capable of detoxify itself and so more susceptible to toxic build up.

Furthermore, where would these children fall within the EPA's 175 pound contamination regulation mentioned previously? After all, they are children, not little adults.

The increased occurrence of learning and behavioral disorders are some of the conditions affecting children that are blamed on the drugs and other contaminants in the water supply.

The Best Solution And Its Not Bottled Water.

The best solution to combating the drugs found in drinking water is to get a home water filtration system.

You may be thinking about bottled water but the truth is that the FDA, which governs the safety of bottled water, only requires that it be just as "good" as tap water. In most cases, bottled water is just repackaged tap water.

A quality water filter is able to remove chlorine, drugs, lead and VOCs found in drinking water at a high rate.

Such a water filter should be independently tested by a lab so as to make sure that the removal rate is what the manufacturer claims it to be. This offers protection to consumer, who can then compare it to the removal rates of other water filters on the market.

As a matter of fact, in some States, like Florida, Iowa, New York, Texas and Wisconsin, it is illegal to make unsubstantiated claims about water filters.

A good water filter should leave in the water, traces of the natural minerals that our body needs. Minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium come to mind.

Unfortunately, some popular systems like the distillation and reverse osmosis water filtration systems don't do this, so bear this in mind when you go shopping for a water filter.

Indeed, these systems do a good job of removing the drugs found in drinking water but they also de-mineralize it. When the body is starved of minerals, it takes these minerals from our teeth and bones, thus making them weaker and unhealthy.

No water filter, can 100% remove all the drugs and other impurities found in drinking water. However, it does give us the closest thing to clean, healthy water and is definitely better than using no filter at all.