The Real Dirt on Clean Water

Your Tap Water may look clean, but in a study conducted by the Enviromental Working Group (EWG), more than 300 pollutants were found in the drinking water in 45 states.  What can you do to help protect yourself and your family against potentially harmful contaminants?

According to the US, Environmental Protection Agency, public water untilities have violated the Safe Drinking Water Act - which has not been updated since 1996 - more than 700,000 times in the past seven years!

What's in Your Water?


Your tap water may not be as safe to drink as you think it is. It may contain lead from corroded pipes, atrazine (a common pesticide), discharge from industrial activity, and other contaminants you can’t necessarily see, taste, or smell. Over time, some contaminants may negatively impact your health. So which contaminants should you be on the lookout for?

• Disinfection by-products can form when chemicals used by local water utilities to kill water-borne microorganisms react with elements that sometimes may be present in the water.

• Heavy metals, including lead, are commonly present in pipes and can easily end up in your drinking glass. Even "lead-free" pipes are no exception; they can actually contain up to 8% lead.

• Agricultural pollutants not only threaten fish and wildlife, they can affect your health. One common pesticide to watch out for is atrazine. Although banned in Europe, over 70 million pounds of atrazine are currently used on farms across the United States.

• Industrial pollutants are prevalent in urban areas. One example of an industrial pollutant is benzene; up to 6 million pounds of this toxic chemical are released in the U.S. every year.

Long-term exposure to these contaminants may cause serious health problems—such as compromised kidney and liver function. And for young children, the risk is even greater. For example, long-term exposure to lead can cause reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and impaired growth.

Who's Responsible for Regulating Your Water?

So who's paying attention to the levels of all the pollutants in your water? Good question. More than half of the pollutants found in drinking water by the EWG are not held to any safety standards. And according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, public water utilities have violated the Safe Drinking Water Act—which has not been updated since 1996—more than 700,000 times in the past seven years.

Who's Responsible for Regulating Your Water?

There are steps you can take to help safeguard yourself and your family against contaminants.1. Do your homework: Research how your water gets from your municipality to your home.

2. Take action: Purchase a water filtration system that’s independently certified to reduce contaminants in your water that may be hazardous to your health. Look for ones with the Water Quality Association (WQA) or National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) seal.

3. Take action: Purchase a water filtration system that’s independently certified to reduce contaminants in your water that may be hazardous to your health. Look for ones with the Water Quality Association (WQA) or National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) seal.



This is reposted from a Shaklee Wellness Update.  If you are concerned about your water, check out our special offer solution, providing you with 365 Days of Clean Water.
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To Your Health,
Lisa

EPA Celebrates Children's Health Month

This news relase is from the EPA website.

To Your Health,
Lisa


Help Protect Children from Environmental Risks: EPA Provides Tips during Children’s Health Month

WASHINGTON - October is Children’s Health Month. To heighten awareness about environmental issues impacting children, EPA is providing parents and caregivers simple tips they can use to help protect children in their homes, schools and communities.

“As both EPA Administrator and a mother, I understand the importance of protecting our children from environmental threats,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Throughout Children’s Health Month, we will work to help parents and caretakers ensure the safety of our children and build a safer, cleaner, more sustainable world for their future.”

Children eat, drink and breathe more per pound than adults. When food, water or air is polluted, children are more affected by that pollution when compared to adults. These concerns about children’s health are a driving force behind many of EPA’s programs, policies and regulatory activities.

There are simple steps that parents and other caregivers can take to protect children from environmental health hazards in their surrounding daily environment.

Here are some simple steps that can be taken to help keep children safe and healthy:


1. Discover how climate change may affect the health of children, and how reducing energy helps the climate and reduces air pollution.
2. Have a health care provider or local health department test children’s blood lead levels.
3. Wash floors and window sills to remove dust and peeling lead-based paint, especially in older homes, where lead based paint is more likely to be found. Repair peeling or chipping paint in older homes.
4. Reduce asthma attacks by controlling triggers such as pet dander, mold and second-hand smoke.
5. Don’t expose children to cigarette, cigar or pipe smoke at home or in a car.
6. Check the local public water supplier for annual drinking water quality reports. Have private water wells tested annually by a certified laboratory.
7. Store pesticides and other chemicals in a locked cabinet. Never put them in other containers that can be mistaken for food or drink.
8. Replace mercury thermometers with digital or mercury-free thermometers.
9. Homes should be tested for radon, as it is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

More tips: http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/calendar.htm