Pureit's Guide on Toxic Substances and ROs that Filter them Effectively
Drinking water comes from 2 major sources: surface water and groundwater, but none of them is deprived of toxins in the form of contamination. As surface water contamination becomes progressively prevalent with untreated sewage discharged into rivers and lakes, it becomes imperative for the populace to invest in water purification methods that can keep them safe against several water-borne diseases. Due to the prevalence of toxic pesticide and fertiliser residues, as well as the presence of fluoride, arsenic, nitrates, iron, and heavy metals, groundwater supplies are also severely polluted, along with the growing concern of toxins from untreated industrial wastes, and landfills.
How do toxic substances contaminate water?
There are many ways a person can come in contact with toxic substances, including food consumption, packaging boxes, working at production facilities, etc. however, the major way is through drinking water. It is estimated that around 2 billion people's drinking water is contaminated with toxic substances.
Toxic substances are present in daily use manufacturing and some part of it is realised as a byproduct that has the capacity to travel in the open and accumulate in the air, dust, soil, and surface water supply in local areas. This elevates the chances of the manufactured chemical contaminating drinking water sources.
The toxic contamination of water will entirely depend on the area one stays. For instance, if you stay near the manufacturing or packaging industry there are high chances of your drinking or cooking water being contaminated with toxins. Especially if the waste is dumped in the atmosphere without proper disposal methods.
Type of toxins in our water
The data released by the Minister of Jal Shakti indicated that groundwater across several states and union territories are plagued by toxins such as arsenic, lead, iron and terrifyingly enough, at times, uranium, cadmium and chromium! This is in addition to other water soluble pathogens and substances, much of which still remain unknown to us.
Causes of drinking water containing toxic water
The toxins present in water are either metallic or acidic, they have a direct impact on the human body, leading to various hazardous illnesses and discomfort.
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● Arsenic exposure increases the risk of skin disorders and cancer.
● Diseases of the neurological system including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's can result from an excess of iron.
● Our nervous system may be impacted by excessive lead levels in the water.
● Kidney disease risk is increased by high cadmium levels.
● Diffuse hyperplasia in the small intestine brought on by high chromium levels raises the risk of malignancies.
● The danger of renal disease and cancer rises when there is too much uranium in drinking water.
Toxic substances and their regulations in India
As most of the toxins and chemicals remain unregulated, due to their otherwise beneficial characteristics in manufacturing, it becomes essential for every individual to know more about these toxins and take measures to avoid the same for the well-being of them and their families.
Treating your water to keep you and your family away from toxic-related diseases is crucial. To purify the water, one should know if the drinking water is contaminated. Most toxins are odourless, tasteless, and invisible to human eyes, making them impossible to identify with minimum tools. Also, some manufactured chemicals cannot be removed by boiling. The best way to tell if your water contains toxins is to test for the chemicals. Once the chemical levels in the water are identified you can analyse the best water remedy to treat the water. There are a few treatments to remove this manufactured chemical (based on the level of toxins in the water) from the drinking water, like pre-sediment filters, activated carbon filters, anion exchange treatment, and reverse osmosis.
Benefits of drinking toxin-free water
Toxin-free water helps avoid adverse and long-term health hazards like low infant birth weight, Kidney disease, decreased fertility, skin disorders, elevated cholesterol, abnormal thyroid hormone levels, liver inflammation, weakening of the immune system, and various types of cancer. It also provides you and your family with all the benefits of drinking pure water with stronger immunity, improving joint pain, glowing skin, fighting fatigue, removing toxins, and much more.
The cause of concern remains to be the lack of regulation of harmful toxins in our drinking water and the onus lies on us to choose a water filter that helps combat such adverse toxins. Water purification is key to consuming clean and pure drinking water with elements that enhance our health.