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Dear healthwellness82@gmail.com, Here’s a scary thought about the tap water you sip -- It could be a dangerous cocktail of cancer-causing chemicals. Robert D. Morris, MD, PhD, leading researcher in the field of drinking water and health and author of the book The Blue Death: The Intriguing Past and Present Danger of the Water You Drink, reveals two easy, proven ways to make sure your tap water is safe -- and tells you what to do if it isn’t. Whether you’re "going steady" or you’ve been married for 50 years, that giddy feeling that comes at the beginning of a new relationship has probably faded -- but Arthur Aron, PhD, professor of social psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, shares a romance secret that has the power to put the "za-za-zou" back in your relationship no matter what stage it’s in. All the best,  Jessica Kent Editor BottomLineSecrets.com  Beat 'em... Once and For All! We all want to eliminate our debt... but how can you when the banks lie, cheat, and manipulate? We all want to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck... but how can you when the banks work their tails off -- just to keep your credit score low so they can make more money in interest! Get the 4-1-1 on aggressive and predatory banks and creditors. Learn how to beat 'em... once and for all! Go sign up now for this totally free opportunity to take control of your finances Is Your Drinking Water Safe? Robert D. Morris, MD, PhD Since 2004, more than 62 million Americans have been exposed to drinking water that did not meet at least one of the government health guidelines intended to protect people from disease. And more than 20 million Americans become sick every year from contaminated drinking water, with ills ranging from digestive upset to cancer. Common contaminants of drinking water include microbes (Cryptosporidium, Giardia, viruses)... metals and minerals (lead, copper, arsenic)... agricultural chemicals (nitrates, atrazine and other pesticides)... industrial chemicals linked to cancer (such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive, and trichloroethylene (TCE), a common solvent)... radon... and chemicals in treated sewage (including pharmaceutical compounds and endocrine disruptors). The most common -- and possibly the most toxic -- chemical contaminants are the chlorination by-products formed when we add chlorine to disinfect our drinking water. Is your drinking water safe? And what can you do if it’s not? SAFETY PROBLEMS Water safety problems include... No comprehensive monitoring system for waterborne illnesses. Waterborne illnesses are not carefully monitored by the US government. It is very difficult to prove that drinking water is causing a particular illness or even a pattern of illnesses in a community. Safety regulations often are a compromise. When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines a "safe" level of a contaminant in water, that level often is influenced as much by politics as by science. Most chemicals are not regulated. Only 91 contaminants are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act, but there are more than 60,000 chemicals produced in the US, many of which appear in water supplies at low levels -- and some of which may cause a chronic disease, such as cancer, after 10 to 20 years of regular consumption. Aging infrastructure. The failure of financially stretched municipalities to repair or replace failing treatment plants and decaying water pipes puts us at risk for contamination from treatment failures and ruptured pipes. RED FLAGS Information on your local water supply can be obtained either from your water utility Web site or from the "Consumer Confidence" report (sometimes called the "Water Quality" or "Right to Know" report) mailed annually to you. Another source of information about your drinking water is the EPA (www.epa.gov/safewater, and click on "Local Drinking Water Quality"). You may have particular reason to be concerned about your water if you... Drink from unprotected surface water. Every significant waterway in the US -- unless it is explicitly protected as drinking water -- receives contaminants from many sources and thus routinely contains agricultural chemicals, industrial discharges, and both treated and untreated sewage. Even treated wastewater contains pathogens and household waste chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals and excreted drugs and their metabolites. Drink unfiltered surface water. Many major cities, including Boston, New York and San Francisco, do not filter their drinking water. They justify this because the watershed is "protected," but these watersheds are not pristine and may receive treated wastewater. Drink groundwater and live near farms, mines or hazardous waste sites. Animal waste, fertilizers and pesticides all can leach into groundwater. New or abandoned mines and landfills also can contaminate your water. Are in a high-risk group -- age 65 or older... young children... those who are pregnant... or have a medical condition (such as rheumatoid arthritis) or are undergoing treatment (such as chemotherapy) that compromises the immune system. These groups are more susceptible to waterborne infections and chemical contamination. To protect yourself and your family... FILTER YOUR WATER You can improve the quality of water in your home by using a water filter. The appropriate filter depends on the source of your water and the health status of your household members. If you rely on public groundwater, a simple carbon filter is probably sufficient to remove chlorination by-products and any chemicals that might reach the aquifer. If you rely on protected surface water (from reservoirs reserved for drinking water in a protected watershed), you will want a combination of micro-filtration and carbon filtration. This will eliminate most contaminants. Most home water filters will provide this. Look for a filter with a pore size of less than one micron. If your water is from an unprotected surface source, you may need to consider a filter that also eliminates bacteria and viruses. This can be accomplished with either ultraviolet (UV) disinfection or reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis removes fluoride from the water, which can increase the risk for dental cavities in children. If you have a well. A deep, properly constructed private well might not require any filtration, but it can be vulnerable to contamination from either naturally occurring mineral contaminants (such as arsenic or radon) or infiltration from local sources of contamination (such as agricultural runoff or buried hazardous waste). Your local health department should be able to tell you if contamination is a problem and offer mitigation strategies. If your house has a lead pipe connecting it to the street. Homes built before 1970 (especially before 1950) may have lead pipes to the street. Ask your plumber. Replace the lead pipe if you can, or install a filter to remove lead. If you are in a high-risk group, you may need a filter that eliminates bacteria and viruses (see "Drink from unprotected surface water"). If you are not sure whether a particular contaminant will be removed, reliable information can be found either through the National Sanitation Foundation (www.nsf.org/certified/dwtu) or the state of California at www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/device (click on "Water Treatment Devices"). Filters are available at most hardware stores and online and can be installed directly on a faucet, under the sink (by a plumber) or on a countertop. There also are refillable pitchers with filters. Example: PUR 2-Stage Water Dispenser. Cost: About $35. Your refrigerator water and/or ice dispenser also should have a filter appropriate to your needs. Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Robert D. Morris, MD, PhD, physician, environmental epidemiologist, leading researcher in the field of drinking water and health, and author of The Blue Death: The Intriguing Past and Present Danger of the Water You Drink (Harper). Dr. Morris has taught at Tufts University School of Medicine, Harvard University School of Public Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Based in Seattle, he has served as adviser to the EPA, CDC, NIH and the President’s Cancer Panel. www.TheBlueDeath.com  New Ways to Have a Happier Marriage Arthur Aron, PhD Do new things together as a couple to keep a marriage happy. Just going out on a date is not enough if you only go to places with which you are already familiar and only do things you have done before. Trying a new restaurant -- or going for a whole new experience, such as taking an art class together or visiting an amusement park -- can bring new sparks to a relationship. The brain’s reward system -- the same system that responds when you first fall in love -- appears to respond positively to new, exciting experiences. Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Arthur Aron, PhD, professor of social psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook. Important: Help your friends get much more out of life -- forward this E-letter to them. Better: Send it to many friends and your whole family. This is a free weekly e-mail service of BottomLineSecrets.com and Boardroom Inc. Boardroom Inc. 281 Tresser Boulevard Stamford, CT 06901-3229 ATTN: Web Team You received this e-mail because you have requested it. You are on the mailing list as healthwellness82@gmail.com. Or... a friend forwarded it to you. Disclaimer: Bottom Line Secrets publishes the opinions of expert authorities in many fields. But the use of these opinions is no substitute for legal, accounting, investment, medical and other professional services to suit your specific personal needs. Always consult a competent professional for answers to your specific questions. Bottom Line Secrets is a registered trademark of Boardroom Inc. Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Update My E-mail Preferences Change My E-mail Address | Contact Us | Privacy Policy Copyright (c) 2011 by Boardroom Inc. |
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