By Ali Wetherbee

In the early 1900’s, municipalities began adding chlorine to public water supplies to kill bacteria such as cholera, E. coli, and other disease-causing microorganisms. Death rates from these pathogens began to drop, but at what cost? Chlorine is actually a poisonous yellow-green gas. It was used as a chemical weapon in World War I, killing 5,000 troops.  Research in recent decades has shown countless unanticipated effects from water chlorination. High chlorine consumption is linked to miscarriages, birth defects, heart disease, atherosclerosis, and senility. According to the U.S. Council Of Environmental Quality, people who drink chlorinated water have an incidence of cancer that is 93% higher than those drinking non-chlorinated water. Just as it is effective in destroying waterborne pathogens, it also destroys cells in our body and promotes the formation of free radicals. Public health regulations, however, still require chlorine to be added to public drinking water.

Chlorine isn’t the only hazard lurking in your glass of water. The Environmental Working Group has compiled a tap water database and identified 316 chemicals present in U.S. tap water. Over 200 of those chemicals are unregulated, and of the remainder, nearly half are still present in levels that exceed health regulation guidelines. So how can you protect yourself from toxic water? Until public health regulations and compliance change, the answer is a home water filter. Our 10 Stage Countertop Water Filter is easy to install, no plumber required, and brings you chlorine-free, odorless water that tastes great. It also removes heavy metals, rusts, herbicides, pesticides, arsenic, asbestos, and cancer-causing trihalomethanes, while leaving beneficial minerals including magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

If you need a more portable solution for an apartment, office, or dorm room, our Barrier Grand Water Filter Pitcher can be kept in your fridge or on your desk or nightstand, for convenient, clean water wherever you are. The filter cartridges last twice as long as those of other water  filter pitchers, so you’ll spend less time and money replacing cartridges. Whether you choose this water pitcher or a countertop filter, pour your filtered water into a BPA-free stainless steel or glass water bottle for drinking on the go. Plastic water bottles are not only bad for the environment but also may leach chemicals into your water. A study in Environmental Health Perspectives found that of 450 plastic water and food containers, 95% released estrogen-mimicking chemicals, even if those products were free of BPA.

What about your morning shower? Your skin is your body’s largest organ. As you shower or bathe, chemicals in the water are absorbed into your skin at a high rate. In fact, 5 – 100 times more chlorine is absorbed by your body during a shower than while drinking your 8 glasses of water each day! Your skin starts to dry out, your hair and nails become brittle, and your eyes may itch or burn. Chlorine in the water also vaporizes at room temperature and your body absorbs high amounts through inhalation, irritating your airways and causing chronic lung problems, cough, and excess mucous production. A New Wave Enviro Shower Filter System not only eliminates up to 98% of the chlorine in your shower water, but also removes 99% of lead and mercury, both neurotoxins with significant health effects including cognitive problems and central nervous system damage. Not only is the filtered water safer and healthier, but it also leaves your hair softer and stronger and your skin more moist and smooth.

How long is your child’s bath? Sitting in contaminated water for an hour multiplies all the effects of a short shower times 10. And children are already more vulnerable to these toxic chemicals due to their rapidly developing, immature bodies and higher blood flow rates. You might find yourself constantly applying moisturizers to your children’s sensitive skin. They might complain of burning eyes and itching skin, or perhaps they’ve developed eczema or psoriasis. Studies have found that chlorine exposure increases the incidence of asthma and allergies in children. Tossing a Splish Splash Water Filter into the bath for just a few minutes will remove the chlorine and other contaminants that cause all these issues.

The effects of chlorinated water polluted with heavy metals and toxins are scary, but they are preventable. Our home water filters are an affordable investment that will pay for itself in medical cost savings and, more importantly, will improve the health of your entire family.