Indicator Species: Windows on our water

by Alexandra Cousteau

Alabama is home to greatest wealth of freshwater and marine biodiversity in North America. Today, as the BP oil spill casts its shadow over the Gulf Coast, scientists keep a vigilant eye on frogs, sharks and sperm whales, all indicator species for ecosystem effects of the oil spill and its clean-up efforts.

Recently at Rainsoft Ottawa we became aware that more parents are concerned about their children’s allergies to chlorine in our drinking water.  We encourage you to read as much as you can on the dangers of chlorine in tap water (dangers in drinking the water and also bathing/showering in chlorinated water) so that you can make an informed decision about systems that will remove the chlorine from your water. 

http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&cp=45&gs_id=57&xhr=t&q=concerns+about+chlorine+in+our+drinking+water&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&rlz=1W1ADRA_enCA414&source=hp&pbx=1&oq=concerns+about+chlorine+in+our+drinking+water&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=9dc824e4dd2e51d3&biw=1067&bih=429

“Showering is suspected as the primary cause of elevated levels of chloroform in nearly every home because of the chlorine in the water.”       ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY – Dr. Lance Wallace

“Taking long hot showers is a health risk, according to research presented last week in Anaheim, California, at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.  Showers – and to a lesser extent baths – lead to a greater exposure to toxic chemicals contained in water supplies than does drinking the water. The chemicals evaporate out of the water and are inhaled. They can also spread through the house and be inhaled by others. House holders can receive 6 to 100 times more of the chemical by breathing the air around showers and bath than they would by drinking the water.”

NEW SCIENTIST, 18 September 1996 – Ian Anderson

“Studies indicate the suspect chemicals can also be inhaled and absorbed through the skin during showering and bathing.”

“Ironically, even the Chlorine widely used to disinfect water produces Carcinogenic traces.”

“Though 7 out of 10 Americans drink chlorinated water, its safety over the long term is uncertain.”

“Drinking chlorinated water may as much as double the risk of the bladder cancer, which strikes 40,000 people a year.” – U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT – July 29, 1991 -Is Your Water Safe – The Dangerous State of Your Water

“A long, hot shower can be dangerous. The toxic chemicals are inhaled in high concentrations.”

BOTTOM LINE – August 1987 – Dr. John Andelman, Ph.D.

“Scientists found there was a higher incidence of cancer of the esophagus, rectum, breast, and larynx and of Hodgkins Disease among those drinking chlorinated surface waters.”

“Volatile organics can evaporate from water in a shower or bath.”

“Conservative calculations indicate that inhalation exposures can be as significant as exposure from drinking the water, that is, one can be exposed to just as much by inhalation during a shower as by drinking 2 liters of water a day.”

“People who shower frequently could be exposed through ingestion, inhalation and/or dermal absorption.”

A surprising but growing concern is the effect that chlorine and other chemicals have on serotonin levels. Recent research demonstrates that recalcitrant organochlorines may play a role in the etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome. The chlorine emitted from showering and other household water use breaks down into free radicals that can lead to cancer and cardiovascular disease. Chlorinated water also contains hypochlorite, which increases levels of singlet oxygen in the body. Clearly it is vital to good health to filter as much chlorine from your home water system as possible.

Chlorine is one of the most reactive elements found in nature.  It readily dissolves in water, where it combines with molecules of oxygen and hydrogen to form hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ion.  Chlorination of water is achieved by adding chlorine gas directly to the water supply, or by adding the chemicals calcium hypochlorite or sodium chlorite, both of which are known as “free available chlorine”.

Water utilities routinely disinfect drinking water to prevent microbial diseases, especially cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever.  Top date, the greatest contribution to the protection of public health in the United States has been the disinfection of public water supplies, yet chlorine itself has been shown to cause a number of health problems. 

Two decades after the start of chlorinating our drinking water, the present epidemic of heart trouble and cancer began.

Removal of Chlorine from Showers

In confined spaces, such as a shower or bathroom, we can sometimes smell chlorine. Frequent exposure to chlorine gas even at the low levels found during normal activities such as showering may reduce the oxygen transfer capacity of the lungs.

When we shower, we also expose our skin to a large amount of diluted chlorine. It’s likely, given the strong oxidizing power of chlorine, that regular exposure to chlorinated water will hasten the skin’s aging process. Fortunately, over the last ten years, water filters have become more sophisticated and it is now possible to remove chlorine from your home shower.

Rainsoft of Ottawa can certainly dispel your fears about the dangerous effects of chlorine.  Our two systems that remove chlorine in your drinking water or in your bath, shower and laundry water are a Reverse Osmosis System and the Whole House Carbon Filtration System. Contact us for information, a free water analysis test and chlorine removal systems: Ottawa, 613-742-0058 for an appointment.

Your friends from Rainsoft Ottawa know you will certainly enjoy this unique video presentation.

http://pdnpulse.com/2012/02/pdn-video-pick-icelands-water.html

Photographer and filmmaker Enrique Pacheco‘s most recent short film, “Vatn” (the Icelandic word for water), offers stunning views of Iceland’s oceans, rivers and waterfalls, made with the Canon 5d Mark II, Canon 600D, and Canon and Carl Zeiss glass.

Shot and edited over a 6-month period, the film employs an interesting narrative structure that personifies water and makes it the film’s protagonist. “Human beings are the antagonists,” Pacheco said of the film, in an interview published on his Web site. “We are changing the life cycle of water. This film is for water conservation. Instead of talking about water, I decided to personify water, give it voice, so we can hear it.

National Geographic Kids blog:

http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/greenscene/2011/06/20-cool-things-about-water.html

We’ve put together a list of ten ways to save water, use less, and feel good about preserving our limited supply.

The easy access and plentiful availability of water in America and other highly developed countries can be blamed for the often wasteful attitude toward water use. For some consumers, it takes a major drought to make them aware of water waste. Others are spurred into action by a particularly high water bill. Thankfully, there are also those who try to use less simply to preserve this crucial life-giving resource.

Regardless of which group you fit into – no need to confess – we’ve put together a list of ten ways to save water, use less, and feel good about preserving our limited supply. You can take daily small steps that make a big difference or go all the way by purchasing water efficient appliances. Either way, you’ll gain a healthy appreciation for a precious commodity.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Let the pros wash your car. Retail car washes use about 1/3 the water needed to wash with a hose in the driveway, and many recycle their water. Another environmental benefit is that wastewater from dirty cars is sent to a treatment plant instead of polluting the streets.

2. Throw those dishes in the dishwasher, unless you’ve got a really old water-hungry model. Newer models typically use ten gallons compared to twenty to wash by hand. But if you’ve got an old model or have just a few dishes to wash, fill a basin in the sink and scrub the dishes without running the tap. Then turn the water on hot and low to rinse.

3. Don’t run a load with only a few pieces of clothing. Spend a few extra minutes rooting around the bedroom to find items that need washing. Be sure the washer is set to the correct water level.

4. No earth-respecting person brushes their teeth with the water running. But when you do turn on the tap to rinse out your mouth, a small flow of water does the trick – there’s only so much water your palm can hold. And while we’re on grooming habits, shortening your shower by a minute or two can save hundreds of gallons a month. By all means, get clean, but do it quickly.

5. No need to wait for the water to get warm when running a bath. Put the stopper in and then turn on the water. It’ll get hot enough to cover up for those first few cool moments.

6. Grab a wrench and check for leaks and water wasters both indoors and out. That includes a faulty toilet flapper that constantly needs a hand at closing properly – bite the bullet and replace it, it’s not too hard. Also consider placing a Ziploc bag of pebbles and water in your tank to use less water each time you flush.

7. Keep a small pail on the counter for compost instead of throwing peels, egg shells and coffee grounds in the disposal, which requires running the tap. As an added water-saving benefit, compost-rich soil needs less watering.

8. Toss the murky water from your fish tank in your garden. Although it’s a nasty looking environment for your fish, it’s a nutrient-rich drink for your plants.

9. Taller grass holds moisture better than short grass, so keep it at a higher setting when mowing.

10. Leftover ice cubes should be tossed onto a houseplant or in the garden. And keep a pitcher of water in the fridge for cold drinks instead of running the tap until it gets nice and cold.

Implementing these water-saving tips will lower your water bill and contribute to world-wide water conservation efforts. It’s also a step toward living consciously and truly appreciating the natural resources we depend on to live each day.

http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/stories/ways-to-save-water 

Photo credit: James Wheeler via Flickr.

If a panel of doctors told you that you need to take better care of your health, would you listen? Canada just got that warning from 10 leading marine scientists: Take care of your oceans before it’s too late. Tell our government leaders that you want Canada to properly support ocean conservation. Send the letter below, and please include your own comments if you can.

http://action.davidsuzuki.org/ocean-budget?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Action%20Alerts%20and%20Petitions&org=408&lvl=100&ite=287&lea=1134961&ctr=0&par=1

On February 2nd, ten prominent marine research scientists affiliated with the Royal Society of Canada released a comprehensive report about the state of our oceans.

They don’t like what they see.

After a thorough investigation of trends in ocean conditions, including fisheries, climate change and aquaculture, they concluded that we’re not a star performer.

In last year’s budget speech, the Finance Minister promised to create six new marine parks by 2012. The government hasn’t met that commitment yet, and it only has 10 months left to meet it. Now is your chance to tell the Prime Minister, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and Minister of Finance that you want these commitments fulfilled and properly supported, and that you want to see a renewed commitment to protecting our oceans going into 2013.

We’ll let you know if they follow through after the budget speech next month.

Read more about the report from the Royal Academy of Canada.
ROYAL SOCIETY CALLS MAYDAY FOR CANADA’S OCEANS

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/healthy-oceans-blog/2012/02/royal-society-calls-mayday-for-canadas-oceans/

So far 2,577 messages have been sent. Let’s get to 3,000!

Recently at Rainsoft Ottawa we became aware that more parents are concerned about their children’s allergies to chlorine in our drinking water. We encourage you to read as much as you can on the dangers of chlorine in tap water (dangers in drinking the water and also bathing/showering in chlorinated water) so that you can make an informed decision about systems that will remove the chlorine from your water.

http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&cp=45&gs_id=57&xhr=t&q=concerns+about+chlorine+in+our+drinking+water&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&rlz=1W1ADRA_enCA414&source=hp&pbx=1&oq=concerns+about+chlorine+in+our+drinking+water&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=9dc824e4dd2e51d3&biw=1067&bih=429

How Dangerous is Chlorine in our Tap Water?
Tap water is one of the four most pressing health threats posed by environmental problems. Each year the correlations between contaminated drinking water and cancer, learning disabilities, and asthma are becoming stronger and clearer. Even if tap water has gone through municipal treatment before reaching your home faucet, it is often far from safe. In many cases, municipal water treatment facilities actually add dangerous chemicals to water in the process of treatment.
Dangerous chemicals and other contaminants are constantly present in our tap water.
Many people may say that attacks on the quality of tap water are simply scare tactics designed to increase profit for bottled water and water treatment companies. Yet, large increases in cancers and other diseases related to poor drinking water quality point unabashedly to a large problem in the current quality of our tap water. What follows is a brief listing of contaminants that could very likely be in your tap water as well as a discussion of how these contaminants may affect your health.

Chlorine: Chlorine is perhaps one of the most dangerous and insidious poisons in our drinking water supply. Surprisingly, it is a municipal additive to drinking water. Water treatment facilities use chlorine as a powerful disinfectant to kill or inactivate biological water contaminants, but that same chlorine that is so toxic to biological contaminants is also poisonous to our bodies. Chlorine in drinking water is currently a leading cause of bladder and rectal cancer and asthma. Health officials are now linking chlorine ingestion to breast cancer, as well.
Clearly, tap water is unsafe and unsuitable for drinking, and bottled water is not the panacea we would like it to be. In many cases, bottled water is nothing more than reconstituted, rebottled tap water
Water filters, with their use of both chemical and physical processes to block contaminant passage, are the only type of water treatment that can effectively and efficiently remove chlorine and reduce other dangerous contaminants from drinking water. The dangerous nature of tap water clearly warrants the use of a drinking water filter…

If it cleanses your water, then what is the problem?

Health officials are concerned with the chlorinating by-products, also known as “chlorinated hydrocarbons” or trihalomethanes (THM‘s). Most THM’s are formed in drinking water when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring substances such as decomposing plant and animal materials. Risk for certain types of cancer are now being correlated to the consumption of chlorinated drinking water. The President’s Council on Environmental Quality states that “there is increased evidence for an association between rectal, colon and bladder cancer and the consumption of chlorinated drinking water.” Suspected carcinogens make the human body more vulnerable through repeated ingestion and research indicates the incidence of cancer is 44% higher among those using chlorinated water.

Even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted new regulations in 1980 for cities to lower the chlorination by-products in water to level not exceeding 100 parts per billion, experts believe that it still doesn’t provide proper safeguards and should be strengthened. Unfortunately, there is a little likelihood that the use of chlorine will be discontinued since it is currently the most economically acceptable chemical for bacterial control at this time. It is ironic that the process of chlorination, by which we cleanse our water of infectious organisms, can create cancer-causing substances from otherwise innocent chemicals in water. Expert voices from now and earlier:

“Chlorine is the greatest crippler and killer of modern times. While it prevented epidemics of one disease, it was creating another. Two decades ago, after the start of chlorinating our drinking water in 1904, the epidemic of heart trouble, cancer and senility began.”
SAGINAW HOSPITAL
J.M. Price, MD

IS YOUR WATER SAFE TO DRINK? – Consumer Reports Books

Chlorinated Drinking Water Linked to Cancer
November 21, 1999 The Toronto Star
Task force to conduct tests in hundreds of communities
Ottawa (CP) – A new federal analysis concludes that chlorinated drinking water may pose a cancer risk to humans, particularly the risk of bladder cancer.

The report by the Laboratory Center for Disease Control, made public yesterday, is based on an exhaustive review of dozens of studies carried out over recent years in Canada and abroad.
The review has already spurred the Federal-Provincial Drinking Water Committee to re-examine existing standards for levels of chlorine by-products (CBPs).

Despite the undisputed benefit of chlorination in controlling infectious diseases, the epidemiological studies indicate an elevated incidence of bladder cancer among those who have been exposed to chlorinated drinking water for long periods.

“If you put those two lines of evidence together I would say it comes out as a probable link (between chlorinated water and cancer),” said health department expert Donald Wigle, who wrote the review.
He said a task force would test drinking water in hundreds of communities across Canada to determine precisely the current concentrations of chlorination by-products. The task force will also survey equipment and practices at water purification plants across the country to determine how costly it would be to lower the current limit on the chemicals. One of the most effective ways to reduce concentrations of the chemicals is to use filtration. But many communities, especially smaller ones, don’t have up-to-date filtration systems.

Wigle said a new standard, if one is deemed necessary, probably won’t be proclaimed until late next year. He said consumers could protect themselves from the risk by using household water filters or drinking bottled water.

Chlorine’s Health Effects
In addition to diet and exercise, maintaining optimum health involves controlling toxic pollutants commonly found indoors. Many people who suffer from allergies find their complaints aggravated by substances that have become part of everyday life. Whether we like it or not, most of us spend 70 to 90% of our time indoors, bombarding our immune systems with chemicals and irritants from carpeting, cleaning products, tobacco smoke, pesticides, dust, plastics, fiberglass, asbestos, automobile exhaust, and even the chlorine that is routinely added to municipal water supplies…

While chlorine occurs in nature, chiefly as a component of sodium chloride in sea water and salt deposits, it irritates the eyes and throat, and it is poisonous when swallowed or inhaled. In 1992, the American Medical Association published information that stated “nearly 28% of all cancer of the intestines and 18% of all cancer of the bladder were caused by the drinking of chlorinated water.” Chlorine may also be a culprit in cancer, although studies undertaken to determine if this is the case remain incomplete.

Potential Contribution to Heart Disease
The patent for chlorination was granted in 1888 to Dr. Albert R. Leeds, Professor of Chemistry at Steven’s Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. The next year, the first chlorination of a public water supply was attempted in Adrian, Michigan. It wasn’t until 1908, however, that chlorination was used on a large scale, at Boonton Reservoir waterworks in Jersey City, New Jersey. By the 1940s, chlorination was widespread in the United States.

Concerns about chlorine and health began in the 1960s. In one study, an association was shown to exist between chlorination and heart disease, evidence that was, interestingly, discovered in Jersey City, the site of the first large-scale chlorination project. The severity of heart disease among people over the age of 50 correlated with the amount of chlorinated tap water they consumed. A statistically significant correlation demonstrated that those persons over 50 who did not suffer from heart disease drank mostly unchlorinated fluids such as bottled water, or boiled water (chlorine is released as a gas when boiled).

Dr. Joseph Price, author of Coronaries, Cholesterol, Chlorine, has stated that he believes chlorine is the cause of “an unprecedented disease epidemic which includes heart attacks and strokes … Most medical researchers were led to believe it was safe, but now we are learning the hard way that all the time we thought we were preventing epidemics of one disease, we were creating another. Two decades after the start of chlorinating our drinking water in 1940, the present epidemic of heart trouble and cancer began.”

Although numerous studies have been conducted in the attempt to discover how chlorine may be a factor in cancer, no research has determined specifically that chlorine is a responsible agent. (See, for example, T. Pate, R. H. Harris, S. S. Epstein, “Drinking Water and Cancer Mortality in Louisiana,” Science Vol. 193, 1976, 55-57). But the relationship between heart disease and chlorinated water is well established – alas, even chickens and pigeons used in tests to determine the effects of chlorine showed evidence of either atherosclerosis of the aorta or obstruction of the circulatory system.

Rainsoft of Ottawa can certainly dispel your fears about the dangerous effects of chlorine. Our two systems that remove chlorine in your drinking water or in your bath, shower and laundry water are a Reverse Osmosis System and the Whole House Carbon Filtration System.
Contact us for information, a free water analysis test and chlorine removal systems.
Ottawa, 613-742- 0058 for an appointment.

PART 2: “TAKING LONG HOT SHOWERS IS A HEALTH RISK – FACT, NOT FICTION” IS OUR NEXT BLOG

A funny and really cute trip down Valentine’s memory lane
CHIP AND DALE – “TWO CHIPS AND A MISS”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbC0WqPI6Fo&feature=related

http://www.sharecare.com/question/water_heart_health

Dole Nutrition Institute answered:

Fluid intake may help support heart health, by affecting factors such as the thickness of blood and plasma. In fact, a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that subjects who drink five or more glasses of water per day have half the risk of fatal coronary heart disease compared with those who drink less than two glasses of water each day. A diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables provides additional hydration help, as produce can provide roughly 20 percent of your water needs. Cucumbers, celery, zucchini, tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, spinach, grapefruit and broccoli are all more than 90 percent water

Alkaline Water Health Improvements:
The lack of h2o in people’s diets stands out as the undeniable cause of plenty of common illnesses. People don’t understand that clean, healthy liquid, and the proper intake has enormous health and fitness benefits. If the water is actually alkaline, further enriching our bodies by bringing the acidic material back towards balance, then a health benefits are sustained. You may be astonished to learn that the explanation for and solution to countless common discomforts is too little of water intake. It may possibly be something you’ve been going through your entire life. Increase your water consumption to avoid heart problems.

Heart healthy
Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.
Angina
Angina, also referred to as heart pain or serious heartburn, is a sign of dehydration during the heart and lung axis. Although angina is incredibly crippling, medication should be utilized. Increased water intake will remedy this challenge over time.
Heartburn
Heartburn is one approach the body signals that there’s a shortage of mineral water in the upper an area of the gastrointestinal tract, generally any esophagus or stomach. You will need to keep this area for the body thoroughly hydrated, because the acidic content of your stomach may be very strong and can be damaging towards the rest of your overall body, particularly the throat.
The most severe part is, many people do not realize that heartburn is signaling anyone to drink more water. As an alternative, they medicate it utilizing pills and antacids. With time, this is detrimental with your health! The continued dehydration and medication may cause inflammation of the belly, with potentials for ulcers, hernias, and in the end cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, which includes the failing liver and pancreas.
Does the temperature of the water matter at all? Believe it or not – it does matter.
Cold water is not as good for hydration as room temperature. The theory is that the cold water causes the blood vessels surrounding stomach to shrink, slowing absorption.
One theory, upon which medical researchers have varying opinions regards whether drinking cold water is as good for you as drinking tepid water, particularly when you are exercising. Some doctors suggest that room temperature or body temperature water is better than cold water, because the body has to expend energy to heat cold water to body temperature, resulting in some water loss.
The problem is that as the COLD drinks pass through our system, they solidify the fats from the foods we have just eaten or are eating at present. This makes the body find it harder to digest and disperse the unwanted fats from our body.
However, if we simply swap our cold drinks for a warm drink (warm water/ coffee/tea/herbals) the warm fluids help the fats in our foods to remain fluid and so easing the digestive system and helping the fats pass through our body (and reduce risk of clogged arteries).
Most people understand the importance of hydration, but the disconnect is how critical to health the source and structure of water is.
Water is your body’s most important nutrient, is involved in every bodily function, and makes up 70- 75% of your total body weight. Water helps you to maintain body temperature, metabolize body fat, aids in digestion, lubricates and cushions organs, transports nutrients, and flushes toxins from your body.

http://natural-body-health.com/heart-attacks-and-drinking-water/

Heart Attacks and Drinking Warm Water

This is a very good article. Not only about the warm water after your meal, but about heart attacks. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot green tea with their meals, not cold water, maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating.

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this “sludge” reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and may lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal…  

http://www.knowledgebase-script.com/demo/article-179.html

Filter
Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a filter for your home . It’ll make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price.

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/07/9-great-reasons-to-drink-water-and-how.html

Photographer: Mila Zinkova Summary Author: Mila Zinkova; Jim Foster

The photo above shows a huge, ebony colored tooth of an ancient Cenozoic Era shark known as a megalodon. On top of it are two teeth from a modern era great white shark found on a California beach. Fossils indicate that megalodons reached a length of 52 ft (16 m); this compares to a length of 20 ft (6 m) for an exceptional great white shark. A shark’s tooth is one of the most commonly found fossils since sharks go through several sets of teeth during their life. Their teeth are lost routinely but new ones constantly grow in to replace the ones that are surrendered.

The great white sharks below were photographed when I went on a cage-diving expedition off Guadalupe Island, Mexico. I was on deck and not in the cage while these shots were taken. The sharks were ravenously feeding on tuna.

Below, the remains of a whale washed ashore at Ocean Beach in San Francisco in September 2010 show bite marks left by great white sharks. Though the species of whale couldn’t be identified, it was easy to tell that the bite marks were from a great white. A 2008 study determined that a great white shark specimen 20 ft (6 m) in length could exert a bite force of over 4,000 lbf (18,000 newtons), more than enough to cut through bone but not as forceful as the bite of a tiger shark or that of a Nile crocodile.

To read related links, see:
http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2012/02/shark-teeth.html

Comments

Some people think this big guy is still around….Not sure about that but the Megalodon must have had some very clean water to swim around in back then…