Water Pollutants - THM

Water Pollutants - THM

Trihalomethanes (THM) are formed as a by-product predominantly when chlorine is used to disinfect water for drinking. They represent one group of chemicals generally referred to as disinfection by-products. They result from the reaction of chlorine and/or bromine with organic matter present in the water being treated. The THMs produced have been associated through epidemiological studies with some adverse health effects. Many governments set limits on the amount permissible in drinking water. However, trihalomethanes are only one group of many hundreds of possible disinfection by-products—the vast majority of which are not monitored—and it has not yet been clearly demonstrated which of these are the most plausible candidate for causation of these health effects. In the United States, the EPA limits the total concentration of the four chief constituents (chloroform, bromoform, bromodichloromethane, and dibromochloromethane), referred to as total trihalomethanes (TTHM), to 80 parts per billion in treated water.

Some of the THMs are quite volatile and may easily vaporize into the air. This makes it possible to inhale THMs while showering, for example. The EPA, however, has determined that this exposure is minimal compared to that from consumption. In swimmers, uptake of THMs is greatest via the skin with dermal absorption accounting for 80% of THM uptake.  Exercising in a chlorinated pool increases the toxicity of a "safe" chlorinated pool atmosphere with toxic effects of chlorine byproducts greater in young swimmers than older swimmers.  Studies in adolescents have shown an inverse relationship between serum testosterone levels and the amount of time spent in a public pools. Chlorination by-products have been linked as a probable cause.

Find out your city's water test results here and the amount of THMs they allow in your tap water - TWC - Your City

Total Water Cleaners remove over 95% of all toxic chemicals from your drinking water, including THMs.

For more information click here - Total Water Cleaners

Water Chlorination and Potential Cancer Risk - Oxford Journals

Here is an article from the Oxford Journals and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on the potential risk of cancer from chlorine in our tap water.

Water Chlorination and Potential Cancer Risk

Chlorine may react with humic substances in water, producing large numbers of halogenated organic byproducts. These byproducts include the chlorinated and brominated trihalomethanes (e.g., chloroform or bromodichloromethane) and haloacetic acids, which are the most frequently and abundantly found disinfection byproducts, as well as MX, which has been measured at much lower concentrations.

What is the appropriate response to the findings that MX causes cancer in experimental animals? Certainly, we expect our drinking water to be clean and safe for public consumption. Stopping water chlorination in the absence of an equally effective disinfection program is not a sensible choice. 

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Animal studies have frequently identified chemicals that have later been shown to be human carcinogens.

A more reasonable consideration may be possible by exploring the potential health risks imposed by MX in comparison to the health risks of other disinfection byproducts. MX is not the first chlorination disinfection byproduct shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. The trihalomethanes have also been shown to be carcinogenic in rats and mice. 

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It is informative to compare MX with chloroform, a drinking water disinfection by product that has been shown to be carcinogenic in rodents. Estimates of human risks by use of animal data are based on estimates of cancer potency, extrapolation models, and estimates of human exposure.

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Thus, it would appear that the cancer potency of MX is approximately 170 times greater than that of chloroform and 17 times greater than that of bromodichloromethane when estimated by similar methods on a weight basis.

For the full article click here - Oxford Journals

A Total Water Cleaner removes over 90% of ALL toxic chemicals from your tap water, chlorine, chloromine and Trihalomethanes (THMs).

Find out more about our cleaners at - www.TotalWaterCleaners.com

Oxford Journal Assessment Of Chlorinated Water

Assessment of the Carcinogenic Potential of Chlorinated Water: Experimental Studies of Chlorine, Chloramine, and Trihalomethanes

Background: Water chlorination has been one of the major disease prevention treatments of this century. While epidemiologic studies suggest an association between cancer in humans and consumption of chlorination byproducts in drinking water, these studies have not been adequate to draw definite conclusions about the carcinogenic potential of the individual byproducts. 

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the carcinogenic potential of chlorinated or chloraminated drinking water and of four organic trihalomethane byproducts of chlorination (chloroform, bromodichloromethane, chlorodibromomethane, and bromoform) in rats and mice. 

Methods: Bromodichloromethane, chlorodibromomethane, bromoform, chlorine, or chloramine was administered to both sexes of F344/N rats and (C57BL/6 × C3H)F₁ mice (hereafter called B6C3F₁ mice). Chloroform was given to both sexes of Osborne-Mendel rats and B6C3F₁ mice. Chlorine or chloramine was administered daily in the drinking water for 2 years at doses ranging from 0.05 to 0.3 mmol/kg per day. The trihalomethanes were administered by gavage in corn oil at doses ranging from 0.15 to 4.0 mmol/kg per day for 2 years, with the exception of chloroform, which was given for 78 weeks.

Results: The trihalomethanes were carcinogenic in the liver, kidney, and/or intestine of rodents. There was equivocal evidence for carcinogenicity in female rats that received chlorinated or chloraminated drinking water; this evidence was based on a marginal increase in the incidence of mononuclear cell leukemia. Rodents were generally exposed to lower doses of chlorine and chloramine than to the trihalomethanes, but the doses in these studies were the maximum that the animals would consume in the drinking water. The highest doses used in the chlorine and chloramine studies were equivalent to a daily gavage dose of bromodichloromethane that induced neoplasms of the large intestine in rats. In contrast to the results with the trihalomethanes, administration of chlorine or chloramine did not cause a clear carcinogenic response in rats or mice after long-term exposure. 

Conclusion: These results suggest that organic byproducts of chlorination are the chemicals of greatest concern in assessment of the carcinogenic potential of chlorinated drinking water. 

Find the full article here - Oxford Journals

A Total Water Cleaner removes over 90% of ALL toxic chemicals from your tap water, chlorine, chloromine and Trihalomethanes (THMs).

Find out more about our cleaners at - www.TotalWaterCleaners.com

Drinking and Showering with Chlorinated Water

Drinking and Showering in Chlorinated Water

Chemicals like chlorine get into our bloodstream and bodies very efficiently through shower water because the shower provides the ideal venue. The warm shower expands the skin’s pores and therefore permits a high rate of absorption of chlorine and other harmful contaminants.

IT’S A CHEMICAL REACTION

Because chlorine has a much lower boiling point than water, it vaporizes more quickly. Therefore, the steam in the shower can contain as much as twenty times the level of chlorine as compared to water that pours from the tap. The inhalation and absorption of these chemicals from the vapors routes them directly into the bloodstream without benefit of the body’s natural filtration systems.

THE DANGERS OF CHLORINE

Long suspected a cause of asthma and bronchitis, the inhalation of chlorine’s vapors acts as a harsh irritant to delicate lung tissue. As opposed to ingesting contaminants by drinking unpurified water, chemicals that are inhaled enter the bloodstream. Because they bypass both the liver and the kidneys, they have no opportunity to filter the toxins; thereby increasing chlorine’s harmful effects.

While chlorine is considered a leading cause of hair loss, some studies have also found that the hazards of inhaling chlorine can even exceed those derived from drinking chlorinated water. The quantity of chloroform (the most common trihalomethane found in chlorinated water), adsorbed through the course of the average shower can be up to six times more than the trihalomethane introduced into the body by drinking chlorinated water.

CLEAN WATER

Water is our most basic element essential for survival. Clean water is vital to maintain the proper functioning of our bodies and its systems from skin and organ integrity to a healthy immune system to longevity.

HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH

Facts, figures, and evidence have been stacking up for years about the unhealthy substances to which we unsuspectingly expose ourselves to on a daily basis. It is therefore imperative we guard ourselves against the destructive chemicals that serve to compromise our health and wellness.

SOME FACTS FROM THE EXPERTS

“Chlorine is the greatest crippler and killer of modern times. It is an insidious poison.” - Dr. Joseph M. Price, MD, in Moseby’s Medical Dictionary

“I am quite convinced, based on this study, that there is an association between cancer and chlorinated water.” - Robert D. Morris of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee

The American Journal of Public Health recently linked chlorine to significant increases in certain types of cancer and stated that - “up to 2/3 of our harmful exposure comes from inhalation of steam while showering.”

The U.S. EPA recently released a report that said, “Virtually every home in America has a detectable level of chloroform gas in the air due to chlorine and showering.”

In the January/February 1987 issue of Health Freedom News, this quote: “The drinking of chlorinated water has finally been officially linked to an increased incidence of colon cancer. An epidemiologist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities completed a study of colon cancer victims and non-cancer patients and concluded that the drinking of chlorinated water for 15 years or more was conducive to a high rate of colon cancer.”

“Chlorine has so many dangers it should be banned. Putting chlorine in the water supply is like starting a time bomb. Cancer, heart trouble, premature senility, both mental and physical, conditions are attributable to chlorine treated water supplies. It is making us grow old before our time by producing symptoms of aging such as hardening of the arteries.” - Dr. Herbert Schwartz, Cumberland County College in Vineland, N.J.

A Norwegian study of 141,000 births over three years found a 14 per cent increased risk of birth defects in areas with chlorinated water. Scientists have already found an association between chlorine and an increased risk of bowel, kidney and bladder cancer, but it is the first time that a link has been found with higher levels of spina bifida.

The U.S. General Accounting Office reports that there are serious deficiencies in water treatment plants in 75% of the states. More than 120 million people (about 50% of the population) may get unsafe water according to a study conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“The drinking of chlorinated water has finally been officially linked to an increased incidence of colon cancer. An epidemiologist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities completed a study of colon cancer victims and non-cancer patients and concluded that the drinking of chlorinated water for 15 years or more was conducive to a high rate of colon cancer.” - Health Freedom News, January/February 1987

“Long-term drinking of chlorinated water appears to increase a person’s risk of developing bladder cancer as much as 80%,” according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Some 45,000 Americans are diagnosed every year with bladder cancer.” - St. Paul Dispatch & Pioneer Press, December 17, 1987

How much are you paying for your water?

Winnipeg's tap water cost $1.35/cubic meter (1000 litres of water), that is .0014 cents per litre.
A bottle of water costs between 50 cents and $1.29/500ml, or an average of  $1.80 per litre.
A 5 gallon jug of waters average cost is about $3.00 (about 19 litres), that is .16 cents per litre.

Bottled water is about 1300 times more expensive than tap water.
5 gallon jugs are about 115 times more expensive than tap water.

It is recommended that an average person drinks 8 cups a day, about 2 litres.
If you were to drink your monthly requirement of 2 litres of water a day (about 600 litres a month), and just were to use bottled water it would cost you about $1200 a month.
If you use 5 gallon jugs of water it would cost about $96 a month.
If you use Winnipeg tap water it would cost you about $0.84 a month.


Add a Total Water Cleaner to your home for only $29.95/month and your drinking water would cost you under $31/month, and would be healthier for you than any bottled water.
You get the benefits of clean chemical free water from every tap in your home for not just drinking, also for cooking and bathing in. 
Chemical free clean water from every tap in your home for a fraction of the cost of bottled waters.

Contact Total Water Cleaners today to see if a Total Water Cleaner is right for you.

Five Sources of Water - Which One is Best for You?

1. Tap Water – Easy, quick, cheap and convenient.  If you are using a Total Water Cleaner in your home congratulations, you are getting the best water available!
   If not, find out how many pollutants are in your tap water, and what the associated health risks are. For more information on our website - City Water Tests
2. Bottled Water – Did you know that 40% of bottled water is actually TAP WATER? With or without added filtration – you're paying through the nose for it. Worse, an independent test by the Environmental Working Group found arsenic, DPBs and 36 other harmful pollutants hiding in bottled water. Plastic bottles are a less than optimal idea too. They can contain the potentially hazardous chemical BPA.  Plus plastic water bottles have a devastating environmental impact.
3. Distilled Water – Long-term use can invite health problems, because its minerals are evaporated out. So to try to maintain mineral balance, it sucks minerals out of your body.
   What's worse, the contaminants in the water are more concentrated in the finished distilled water. 
4. Alkaline Water – Although there is some controversy on this, most experts believe that this water should be used for short-term detoxification only (1-2 weeks max). Additionally the alkalinization process does NOT filter the water so you need to carefully evaluate the water filter for the specific alkaline water unit it's using.
5. Vitamin Waters – Don't be fooled… Vitamin waters contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), artificial colors, additives, preservatives, and caffeine. Even worse… they use distilled water to produce these products – which as you just read, is one of the worst types of water you can consume.

What is a "Whole Home Water Cleaner"?

Total Water Cleaner's “Whole Home Water Cleaner” will provide you and your family with healthy, chlorine-free, clean water for all of your daily uses. Whether you’re drinking it, cooking with it, or showering and bathing your kids in it, you will feel the difference clean water makes.

Our "Whole Home Water Cleaner" package consists of a Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filter tank. We only use the highest grade NSF Certified carbon. At 44 inches tall and 8 inches in diameter, our water cleaner will fit in even the tightest of spaces.

Benefits - 

• Clean water from every tap in your home
• Does not remove essential minerals
• Removes over 95% of all chemicals and pollutants from your home's water 
• Removes over 95% of all pharmaceuticals from your home's water 
• Virtually Maintenance-Free, no back washing, no pre-filters needed
• Convenient and Environmentally-Friendly, no electricity needed, no wasting water with back washing
• Easy to install in almost any home or business

For more information visit our website - www.TotalWaterCleaners.com

Pharmaceuticals In Our Water Supplies

Pharmaceuticals In Our Water Supplies

Developed to promote human health and well being, certain pharmaceuticals are now attracting attention as a potentially new class of water pollutants.

Such drugs as antibiotics, anti-depressants, birth control pills, seizure medication, cancer treatments, pain killers, tranquilizers and cholesterol-lowering compounds have been detected in varied water sources.

Where do they come from? Pharmaceutical industries, hospitals and other medical facilities are obvious sources, but households also contribute a significant share. People often dispose of unused medicines by flushing them down toilets, and human excreta can contain varied incompletely metabolized medicines. These drugs can pass intact through conventional sewage treatment facilities, into waterways, lakes and even aquifers. Further, discarded pharmaceuticals often end up at dumps and land fills, posing a threat to underlying groundwater.

Farm animals also are a source of pharmaceuticals entering the environment, through their ingestion of hormones, antibiotics and veterinary medicines. (About 40 percent of U.S.-produced antibiotics are fed to livestock as growth enhancers.) Manure containing traces of such pharmaceuticals is spread on land and can then wash off into surface water and even percolate into groundwater.

For the rest of this article click here - Pharmaceuticals

Total Water Cleaners remove over 90% of pharmaceuticals from our tap water. 

For more information on our water cleaners click here - Total Water Cleaners