What You Need to Know About Chlorine and Heavy Metals Lurking in Your Tap Water

Of all the places heavy metals could be lurking, not many people would consider their tap water as a primary source. But research shows there are plenty of scary heavy metals with long-term serious health effects hiding in your tap water.

Water is needed for every process in the body. It gives you glowing skin and ensures your digestive tract runs properly.

Dehydration may cause fatigue, headaches and the inability to focus.

But if you’re not drinking clean water, you may be doing more harm than good.

In this article, we aim to take a closer look at the dangers of chlorine and heavy metals in tap water.

Tap water really is wonderfully convenient as it free flows: we just switch it on and off whenever we would like it. But it could be better.

The water we receive in the UK, even globally, still needs better filtration.

If you rely solely on tap water, you may be ingesting the following heavy metals: fluoride, mercury, PCB’s, chlorine, lead, arsenic and dioxin.

Heavy metals in the United Kingdom are less of a problem than they used to be; however, the major concerns now are some of the dissolved organics such as pesticide residues, drug residues and hormone residues.

Although these are only present at low concentrations, no evaluation has been carried out as to the impact of ingesting these low level concentrations long-term.

For thousands of years, heavy metals have been used all over the world for lots of different reasons. Although the scary health effects associated with heavy metals have been known for some time, it’s still an increasing problem in many parts of the world.

Heavy metals may enter our water in several different ways. They can be obtained from medical waste that leaks into the water. Chemicals can also come from pesticides that are used on land and run off into the water.

According to the World Health Organization, chlorine is found in most disinfected drinking water at an amount of 0.2 to 1 mg per litre.

Short-term exposure has been associated with enhanced weight gain in rats that were given chlorinated water. Long-term exposure on humans, meanwhile, has been linked to higher cholesterol levels and an increased risk of bladder disorders.

Drinking chlorinated water has also been associated with infertility and other reproductive problems.

Chlorine may have a disruptive effect on the beneficial microbes in the body. Since it is a disinfectant, chlorine can kill the good gut bacteria in your digestive tract just like antibiotics, which puts you at a great risk of illness and a weakened immune system.

Here are some more important facts on chlorine and other heavy metals found in your drinking water.

1. Chlorine

Despite not being completely safe, chlorine is added to drinking water as a purification method. In addition to infertility and reproductive problems, long-term exposure is associated with respiratory problems, cellular damage, memory loss and impaired balance.

2. Arsenic

You wouldn’t think of something poisonous being added to your drinking water. But arsenic may enter tap water through means of improper waste disposal and from run-off wells that come in contact with a nature source of water.

Arsenic poisoning is associated with diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and even death. Being exposed to it long-term may result in various chronic types of skin, lung and bladder disorders.

In Taiwan, arsenic has been known to cause a type of gangrene that rots blood vessels, resulting in death called blackfoot disease.

3. Mercury

Mercury might be a naturally occurring element but it’s not one that you want to ingest. It’s extremely toxic and can lead to blindness, brain damage, nerve damage, headaches, tremors, mood swings, skin rashes and memory loss.

4. Lead

Lead is poisonous to almost every organ in the body. According to a 2008 study, lead has been associated with stunted growth, developmental issues in children, deafness, learning disabilities, behavioural problems and brain damage.

Additionally, a 2011 study found that lead exposure may cause prostate problems in men, reproductive problems in both men and women, and autism.

5. Dioxins

Do you really want a heavy metal that is released from cigarette smoke in your water? Dioxins are created from forest fires, hazardous wastes, cigarette smoke and burning coal and oil. They settle in water sources and can be found in your tap water.

Short-term exposure is associated with respiratory problems and lesions. According to the World Health Organization, long-term effects include disruptions of the immune, endocrine, reproductive and nervous systems. Dioxins have also been linked to birth defects and stillbirth in developing fetuses.

You can learn more more about how water can be your enemy here.

Bottled water may seem like a simple solution to removing the heavy metals from your water. But a 2013 study found that bottled water may contain more than 24,000 chemicals.

During the study, 18 brands of water were tested and all were found to be contaminated. Moreover, almost all bottled water brands contain microplastics! Researchers from Orb Media found an average of 10 plastic particles per litre, “each larger than the width of a human hair.”

The Energy Plus Water Filter System fits underneath your sink and removes heavy metals from your tap water. In addition, the filter stimulates the release of molecular hydrogen and alkalises the water.

While tap water in the UK is actually much cleaner than in other parts of the world, it’s rather obvious that improvements could be made.

Whether you’re seeking to avoid trace levels of heavy metals, pharmaceutical compounds, hormone residues, microplastic fibres, fluoride, chlorine, chloramine or some other contaminants, we sympathise with you. Clean, health-promoting water should be a human right.

Water for Health Ltd began trading in 2007 with the goal of positively affecting the lives of many. We still retain that mission because we believe that proper hydration and nutrition can make a massive difference to people’s health and quality of life. Click here to find out more.