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Water. One of the earths most crucial elements, that ensures the health and wellbeing of basically all living things.
Yet, it has only been in our relatively recent history that we have introduced water treatment plants and disinfection processes of our drinking water, which has most likely had some positive effects on public health, by reducing the incidence of water borne diseases, but is it creating other health concerns that you and I know very little about.
I'd like to start off with a short story of my own. I grew up on a farm, and was raised on pure rainwater, yes it was unfiltered, and in hindsight, a filter would have made the water an even higher quality, but you don't know what you don't know, until you do. But, I have a memory from when I was a child, when I would go visit my grandparents who lived in the city, my siblings and I would do all we could to avoid drinking the tap water, the taste of chlorine, was so overpowering to us, and so noticeable as we were not used to drinking it, however for those already used to the taste, they barely even noticed it. So, even as a child I had a general idea, that good old tank water was much better for my health, it was almost like a gut instinct, but it wasn't until I began suffering from skin conditions and studying nutrition, that I found a whole new appreciation for good quality water.
You might be thinking, what could be wrong with having clean drinking water? And a great place to begin is to look at what chemicals have been detected in our water since the introduction of treatment plants. The answer to that is, unfortunately too many to list here specifically. It is a very complex issue, so, to give you just a glimpse, the chemicals that are most often found in our drinking water are called 'endocrine disrupting chemicals', such as fluorinated substances, bisphenols, phthalates, pesticides and natural and synthetic estrogens. If you are unsure what an endocrine disrupting chemical is, it is basically a substance that interferes with one of the major functions in the body, the endocrine system, which is responsible for the control of our hormones, which are a very important player in our bodies for us to achieve good health. Anything that disrupts this crucial system, in my eyes, is not good news and will not lead to good health outcomes in the long run.
By now you may be thinking yeah but, clean water is one of the most important aspects to our health and it is better than drinking water contaminated with disease, which it is, but what you may not know is that during the process of treating and cleaning our water, it leads to undesired reactions between disinfecting agents and organic or inorganic matter, which can form dangerous compounds called water disinfection bi-products (DPB’s). So, our drinking water not only contains known endocrine disrupting chemicals but also these bi-products. And what is really frightening is that, to date, there have been approximately 700 of these bi-products detected, with only 11 of them being regulated by the USEPA.
So, where are all these chemicals coming from? The contamination of our water ways is quite diverse, and not only as a result of the disinfection process. Chemicals are also released into our water ways from the runoff of the industrial and livestock industries as well as residential waste. To try and put it simply, our water sources are already contaminated before they hit the treatment plant, the chemicals that are then added to disinfect the water, react with the already present chemicals, the end result being DPB's. Water sources with a low ph. level particularly, have been associated with high levels of DPB’s because the most reactive form of chlorine, hypochlorous acid, is present in high concentrations in water sources with ph.’s lower than 7.5.
The presence of these DPB’s has become quite a health concern with epidemiological studies finding associations between them and increased risks of cancers and reproductive health concerns. Studies have shown that exposure to these chemicals can impair development, fertility and reproductive functions not only in humans, but animals and aquatic life. Pesticides that have also been detected in some water sources have been associated with low sperm count, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. While studies on fluorinated substances that can also be found in drinking water, have reported that exposure to these substances are responsible for impairing sperm viability.
Another interesting fact is that many pesticides are intentionally applied to various water ways such as canals, rivers, lakes and streams to control mosquitoes, weeds and invasive fish and are used in water treatment plants to remove bacterial and viral contaminants from drinking water. They are also applied to water used in large scale irrigation systems, especially in humid and tropical environments. In some cases, pesticides and their metabolites have been detected in levels that exceed the regulatory limits of their retrospective countries, with atrazine being the most commonly found containment, with studies showing it can cause reproductive toxicity in animal models.
It has also been found that there are many natural and synthetic estrogens that are contaminating the environment, these compounds are also endocrine disruptors that can alter gonadal steroid signalling by interacting with estrogen receptors. The most prevalent estrogens found are estrone, estradiol and estriol. These estrogens are naturally produced by humans and animals, and natural phytoestrogens are released by plants. Environmental contamination with estrogens has become a public health concern because of their ability to disrupt the endocrine system, impair reproductive function and trigger adverse health events. There is ever growing evidence indicating that dangerous contaminants are present in waters across the world, and they can impose negative health effects. These toxins can act directly or indirectly on the reproductive system impairing development and fertility with further studies required to explore the long-term consequences of exposure to these contaminants.
The most obvious and common route of exposure for us humans is via ingestion, but also by consuming food and beverages prepared with treated water. Inhalation and absorption can also occur by using showers, swimming pools or saunas via dermal contact with the water. The DBP’s found in spas and swimming pools can also change with the climate and will also interact and change when exposed to such things as body sweat and urine, as well as environmental contaminants such as sun lotions. Many people will also have experienced the unfortunate consequences that contaminated water can have on another major organ, and that is the skin, the bodies first line of defence. I personally have experienced these ill effects, with my body quickly detecting poor water quality, or highly contaminated water. The health of my skin, and overall health goes down fairly quickly in the form of welts, eczema and overall dry skin and hair along with fatigue.
What I have discussed here really is just touching the surface, it is such a complex issue, that could be explained further, however I think what is important to take from this is that we need to be aware that there are chemicals in our drinking water, that were not present 100 years ago, and what long-term effects they have on our health is still unclear, but it doesn't look promising with so much growing evidence to suggest that they are having negative effects on our health.
So, what can we do about it? There are many different options on the market when it comes to purifying the water you consume and bath in. But I believe it is crucial to always filter your water, my personal choice being the Zazen systems which have been specifically designed for Australian and New Zealand water. An on the counter filtration system, paired also with a filter for your shower. The Zazen system clears the water of impurities, reduces chemicals and re mineralizes the water so it mimics what you would find out in natural spring water. It is not an expensive option and is very easy to install which is why I like these particular systems. However, you can also install a full house filtration system or choose from the many other options currently available, but please do your research and make sure that whatever filter you buy has been independently tested and they inform you how much they reduce the chemical content of you water. Another wonderful option is to install a water tank on your property, as this will give you a better source of water to begin with.
I hope this information has been helpful and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via Instagram at alife.sheloved or fill in the contact form available on the website.
"Pure water is the world's first and foremost medicine" Slovakian Proverb
Emily
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