Water is an integral part of life. It has different uses, from making the environment conducive for living to health and industrial uses. When used for consumption by people and animals, water should be clean and pure, or rest assured it will lead to various health issues.
Water helps hoist nutrients and oxygen to your cells, aids in digestion, stabilizes the heartbeat, and normalizes blood pressure, among other benefits to our bodies. Because water is so essential, it’s important to use water purification systems to ensure the water we consume is clean and safe. This blog discusses the common contaminants found in tap water to be aware of.
Lead
Lead is a heavy metal, and its presence in drinking water can cause damage to health even at low concentrations. Lead can cause much damage to property as it can cause corrosion of household plumbing systems like taps. It can also reduce the natural minerals in water that provides various benefits to living things.
Lead in water can cause extreme health conditions, and the amount of lead in water depends on the time the water is exposed to the pipes, the water temperature, and acidity levels. Lead is a metal whose presence in drinking water can lead to irritability, developmental delays, and abdominal pain.
Chlorine
Chlorine is mainly added by people and even government agencies as an oxidant to control microbes. However, excessive amounts of chlorine can be undesirable and even dangerous. Chlorine can significantly dry your skin and hair and cause aggravating effects to your nose and ears. You can absorb chlorine through physical contact with the water while bathing and oral consumption.
Mercury
Mercury, a liquid metal at room temperature, can easily mix with water. As a result, you can easily find it in various natural deposits. Mercury may threaten humans’ well-being, leading to chronic issues. Its presence in drinking water can cause slow reflexes, damaged motor skills, and intelligence deficiencies.
The effects of mercury are more pronounced in young children, and elevated levels of the substance may expose you to deep-rooted neurological damage and kidney damage. Mercury can get into public water through the refineries and factories, landfills, or cropland runoff waste.
Herbicides
Herbicides are the substances used by farmers to get rid of unwanted plants from their farms. Herbicides enter the water systems by accumulating public soil and water sources. Rainwater washes off the herbicides from farmlands into lakes, rivers, and other water bodies. One herbicide that is quite harmful to humans is atrazine. This herbicide is commonly used in golf courses, and it can affect the body’s reproductive system and hormones.
MTBE
Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether is a substance added to gasoline to reduce carbon monoxide and ozone levels emitted by automobiles. MTBE can leak into drinking water from spills, pipelines, and discharge from water engines into rivers and lakes. MTBE can cause severe effects on your metabolic system such as dizziness, headaches, throat irritation, and nervous system effects. Animals given MTBE have also been diagnosed with cancer, kidney, and liver effects.
Key Takeaway
Considering water is so essential to life, it’s important to take all precautions necessary to ensure the water you consume is safe and pure. It would be best to have your water tested to know the toxins present in the water. After learning which contaminants are present, consider investing in a whole-home water purification system to get rid of the contaminants.
Water Purifiers for Your Home and Business in San Antonio
If you live in San Antonio or the surrounding area, you are no stranger to the hard water and limescale build up that is common here. Contaminants such as hard minerals and chlorine are common, but can be easily removed for more clean water in your home or business in San Antonio. To learn more about water purification in San Antonio, Tx, give San Antonio Water Solutions a call or contact us today.
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