Toxic Chemicals in Drinking Water

by Baruch Gorovenko

     Maybe you haven't taken notice of the cancers and disease that doctors "don't know the cause".  But you already have a good idea that most disease is a product of our "environment".  Exposure to a toxic environment lowers the immune system and makes us susceptible to sickness and disease.  Consider the amount of knowledge, information and technology we have today in the industrialized nations,  compare that with the growing amount of disease in all the industrialized nations?  Man's knowledge is supposed to be doubling every 5 years, but we still don't know what causes all the new diseases?  We know, you know, but it's not something we like to talk about, it's not fashionable because it appears to be a huge monster of a problem we can't fix.  We all enjoy the benefits of our chemical rich society, we like to drive our vehicles and use synthetic/chemically produced gadgets every day, but when our health is going down, we remember our work environment, our lifestyles and we know how we compromised our health to enjoy the "good life".  "Superbugs" came from the fervent marketing of antibiotics which made billions of dollars for the pharmaceutical companies, but still the underlying problem of lowered immune systems, is not being addressed.  How is it that such a large segment of society has such low immunity to disease?  Certainly toxic chemicals are the number one culprit that wipes out the immune system, toxic chemicals in our food, air, and water.

     There is a whole new class of toxic chemicals showing up in drinking water, the pharmaceuticals that are plied to humans, pets, beef, dairy, chicken, pork, fish etc are finding their way into our drinking water.  The growing list includes antibiotics, hormones, pain killers, tranquilizers, chemotherapy chemicals etc that show up in surface water, groundwater and drinking water at the tap.  Large quantities of drugs excreted by humans and domestic animals find their way into the ground water through by spreading manure and sewage sludge onto soil.  German scientists report that a typical water sample will produce anywhere from 30 to 60 drugs, concentrations are generally found in the low parts per billion (PPB), the same levels as pesticides. 

     Yes of course science and governments reassure the taxpayer that PPB quantities "pose little threat to public health" so most citizens feel reassured their water is safe.  But, there is one question that science will never answer, it's not in their best interest:  What are the effects of drinking a cocktail of pesticides, antibiotics, pain killers, tranquilizers, and chemotherapy chemicals each day of your life?  There is only one right answer, and one right solution.  Drinking toxic chemicals is going to shorten life and/or decrease quality of life. 

The solution is prevention

avoid toxic chemicals like the plague.

     Some people seem to think that toxic chemicals in our water supplies is a new problem, but the fact is that industry has been dumping toxic waste in the water since the beginning of the chemical evolution.  Back in 1976 Kansas City researchers found drugs in the sewage at the treatment plant, but the issue was rapidly swept under the carpet for nearly 15 years.  In 1992 while German scientists were researching the amount of herbicides in water they discovered a drug in the water that was prescribed by doctors to reduce cholesterol.  The drug was clofibric acid (CA) that is a close chemical cousin of 2, 4-D which was a very popular weed killer.  Since that first discovery German, Danish and Swedish researchers have been measuring CA in rivers, lakes, and in the North Sea.  Here in Canada we have the same concerns as the Europeans, according to Chris Metcalf of Environment Canada's National Water Research in Burlington, Ont.,

"in some cases, we're actually getting larger concentrations

of these drugs than what we've seen in Europe." 

 It has also been reported that even in the northern most parts of Canada, our water is doing drugs.  According to our "best science", nearly 80 percent of drugs are excreted out of the human body either unchanged or broken down into metabolites, some claim that metabolites are more dangerous than the drug itself.  About 15% of prescription drugs go unused by the patient, the drugs sit in the cabinet and usually either get flushed down the toilet or end up in the garbage, either way the drugs find their way in our water supply.  The University of Alberta's David Schindler first heard of drugs in the water from scientist John Isaacs in the 1970's.  According to Mr. Schindler, "He expressed concern about these endocrine substances from birth control pills and things at a scientific meeting and everyone pooh-poohed it because there was no evidence."  Some have suggested that the antibiotics found in Canadian water supplies are very likely partly responsible for Canadians developing a resistance to antibiotics.  The City of Edmonton established a bylaw which bans dumping drugs into the sewer system, but of course it is impossible to enforce.

     Maybe you're not interested in taking other peoples prescriptions when you drink water?  If so, the solution is to mechanically purify your water and remove as many contaminants as possible.  If you're not entirely confident in the water you are drinking, don't play Russian roulette with your health, have it analyzed.  Every home should be equipped with a water filtration system, it's really your best life insurance.  From the looks of things, it will be a long while before governments, pharmaceutical/chemical industries care more about people than they do about profits.  For a free test click here, fill in the form provided and one of our technicians will contact you to confirm the best time to drop by.