While it is true that one of the major reasons why new alternative water products, such as filtered water and diatomic hydrogen water, are becoming so popular is the additional health benefits they can offer, seeing such products in this way can have us forget about another reason why people turn away from traditional municipal tap water – that this water can often be seriously substandard.
Synergy Science, a company specializing in alternative water products, stress that sometimes, such products are a necessity and are required when tap water doesn’t make the grade. You might think that considering such products a “necessity” is overstating the case, but sometimes what tap water is contaminated with can be downright dangerous.
To illustrate this point, it is wise to consider one of the most well-known cases – lead in tap water. This is a problem usually caused by lead plumbing, which is still present in millions of U.S. homes. Lead exposure is known to cause severe mental illness and while it is true that the quantities are tiny and there is no need for immediate alarmism, it is easy to see why many choose to either filter or get their water from elsewhere. From pesticide contamination to copper and from nitrate contamination to over-chlorification, there are many more examples just like this one.
Arsenic in Drinking Water
One of the alternative water sources that many people concerned about the quality of their drinking water turn tois a well source for their household water. The benefits of installing a well all derive from the principle of cutting yourself off from municipal water and drawing from a less contaminated underground source. The idea here is that much groundwater contamination occurs close to the surface where contaminants seep in, and that drawing from deep underground can be a source of purer water.
This is certainly true to an extent, but it doesn’t protect you from geological contaminants, one of which is arsenic. And it isn’t just well users who are exposed to arsenic through their drinking water; the substance is also naturally occurring around many water sources. Moreover, when it comes to arsenic, there is one group of people who have cause to be even more worried than everyone else – pregnant women.
Arsenic and Pregnant Women
Most expectant mothers are aware of the list of verboten food and drink during pregnancy. However, while you can make a conscious choice not to drink alcohol, arsenic could be entering you and your baby’s body through the very water you drink.
While being careful to stress that the danger is not immediate, exposure to arsenic throughout pregnancy can have the following, profoundly serious, effects:
Increased Risk of Miscarriage and Infant Mortality
After a recent study ,it has been generally agreed that arsenic can harm fetal growth and development. If such development is hindered enough, it can even cause miscarriage.
Reduced Brain Development
Closely related to the previous point is the potential for arsenic to adversely affect fetal brain development, which is rarely fatal but can cause a child to be born with learning difficulties.
Decreased Nutrients in Breast Milk
And it isn’t just the mother at risk. Arsenic exposure has been shown to adversely affect the production of breast milk, to the point where the nutrient content is seriously compromised.
Alternatives
All these effects might sound terribly alarming – and they are – but it should be remembered that pregnancy is always a time to take extra special care about what you consume. Alternative water products or filtration systems, however, are certainly wise options for anyone drawing water from a potentially arsenic-contaminated source.
