About 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides will be applied to U.S. soil this year. With the arrival of warm weather comes the need to control weeds and insects and the temptation to use pesticides. Or, for those of us who live around farms our water source may contain pesticides regardless of our own actions.
Pesticides have been linked to a variety of cancers. The Midwest corn belt is referred to by physicians as the ‘lymphoma belt’. Apparently children conceived during the May to July period are affected due to their exposure to pesticides either directly or in water.
According to Dr Indra Frank, “I have seen more and more data in the medical literature showing an association between non-Hodgkins lymphoma and a variety of pesticides. There are also studies showing higher rates of miscarriage and birth defects in pregnant women exposed to pesticides. Also, risks for brain cancer and leukemia are higher in children exposed to pesticides like lawn chemicals or in-home insecticide sprays.”
If there are pesticides in your water, you will be bathing in them. And pesticide exposure has been linked to cancer as well as other issues. I don’t write this to scare you, but to inform you. Fortunately, you can protect yourself. My Urban Defender whole house water filter will remove herbicides and pesticides from your water.
Pesticides also block male hormone production.
Pesticides affect unborn children in the womb lead to learning disabilities
There’s a reason that nothing’s growing between those rows and corn and beans…. Don’t let it kill you. You can learn how to keep your water healthy by visiting me at Sweetwater’s primary website.
Portland, OR has good water from the Bull Run reservoir off Mt. Hood. It has a lot of sediment and we are impressed how well the big blue 5 micron filter cleans this up and how well the kitchen defender provides good drinking water. The only thing in the water that is a bit worrisome is the radiation byproducts, which are described by our water bureau as natural decay products found in all groundwater. Does anything besides RO remove these from the water?
Wendell – an excellent question. First, here is a copy of Portland’s water report so that others who read this may also view it: http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?c=29551&a=244813
It’s always a matter of personal choice when it comes to matters such as this. Some people suggest that minerals in water are important while others disagree. Minerals in water come from the water dissolving the rock in which it resides or comes in contact. Some of those minerals may be beneficial and some may not. In your case there are very low levels of beta emitters @ 3.4 picocuries per liter of water.
I can only say how I would deal with that in my own situation and then pass that recommendation on to you. In this case I would likely rather drink the water with my Kitchen Defender water filter, thus removing the chemicals added by the city and removing or reducing arsenic, barium, and fluoride, while leaving other minerals present. The beta emitters may in fact also be removed by the physical barrier of having to pass through the stages of KDF, catalytic carbon, and then carbon block but these media are not certified for removal of these contaminants.
My bigger concern in Portland’s water would be the 310 picocuries per liter of radon that you are breathing in the shower. Radon is a gas that will be present in the shower. Some scientists suggest that radon is one of those elements that is toxic in any amount. See my resource library for that source.
Everyone should keep in mind that it is the behaviors we practice over long periods of time that influence our health the most. Even seemingly small levels of contaminants, far below the standards established by EPA, can be harmful. But you have to pick your battles.
To answer your question, in theory, only RO removes radioactive metals.