A new study conducted by scientists with the Environmental Working Group have very important results to share. The report found that contaminated tap water causes as much as 100,000 cases of cancer every year in the U.S. alone. This coming just a month after the earlier EPA report about lead levels in Newark water is a cause of concern for people across the country.
Sydney Evans, the lead author of the study said, “We want people to realize that water that meets legal specifications may still cause health risks based on the latest science. This is a concern nationwide, whether urban or rural, with a small or large [water system].”
What Causes The Risk?
The major risk comes from many elements that somehow find their way into the tap water. It is reported most of it is from naturally occurring arsenic which usually is found in groundwater and the byproducts of the chemicals used for disinfecting the water like chlorine or chloramine. Radioactive contaminants found a place in the report as well which was published in Heylion, a peer-reviewed journal. Even still, the number of water-connected cancer cases is less as compared to the total number of cancer cases in the country.
The American Cancer Society reported that in just 2018, 1.7 million new cancer cases had been registered. Even then, the Vice president of science investigations at the Environmental Working Group feels that water contamination plays a huge role in causing cancer. Olga Naidenko said that of all the cancer cases related to environmental causes, water contamination is responsible for a higher percentage of those.
Water In The U.S.
The country is ranked at a very decent spot worldwide for water quality as the country has been able to eliminate many biological causes of diseases and illnesses like the bacterium E Coli which are more commonly found in developing nations. However, the water seems to be unsafe as other contaminants pose to be a problem. Lead leaking from old pipes, underground arsenic, and disinfectants are just to name a few of the contaminants that are becoming difficult to deal with.
Problems like these are easily documented and perhaps even taken care of but the study also notes that contaminants in the water contribute a huge chunk of share for overall cancer risk associated with drinking water, in large communities. The study was conducted across the water quality levels of over 48,000 systems. Evans suggested that people check local water reports and get an individual filter for home if necessary. Even in Washington D.C., regulators found exceeded levels of 10 contaminants, standards that are more of recommendations rather than mandatory guidelines. Most of these contaminants are associated with cancer.
How Can Citizens Be Safe?
Presence of arsenic, lead, chlorine, and many other such elements have been found to cause cancer in as much as 100,000 cases across the country. In light of such an event, just like Evans suggested, it is recommended that families be aware of the local water quality reports available and if needed, get a residential filter to keep water safe for drinking.
AMPAC suggests Reverse Osmosis Water Filter that is especially known for getting rid of practically every contaminant including the 10 chemicals found by the D.C. regulators. An RO filter is an all in one package for protection against biological, organic and chemical impurities. It also removes suspended particles, total dissolved salts, and odor for a pleasant experience. You get stress-free water supply at your disposal in just a touch of a button. The filters are almost always automatic requiring no manual supervision. These also work according to the changing quality and impurity levels which make these products a must-have in today’s date.
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