BY HANNAH COBB, CNHP
1. CHLORINE – Chlorine is commonly added to water systems across America to act as a disinfectant, to prevent the growth of algae and bacteria, and to control tastes and odors. Chlorine was first permanently used in Lincoln, England, when a contaminated water supply caused an outbreak of typhoid fever in 1905. Alexander Cruickshank Houston fed a solution of chlorinated lime into the water to stop the epidemic.
This solution was later used in the United States in 1908 for the water system that supplied Jersey City, New Jersey. Today, liquid chlorine gas has replaced the use of chlorinated lime in our water systems.
According to the CDC, chlorine levels of up to four milligrams per liter are considered safe and will not likely cause any harm to your health. While most people may think that ingesting a small amount of chlorine each day isn’t going to make a significant impact on health, evidence demonstrates it’s a toxicant to be avoided.
One meta-analysis compared six case-control studies and two cohort studies that observed the association between individual consumption of chlorinated water and bladder cancer.
This analysis compared immediate as well as long-term risk factors and concluded that long-term exposure to chlorinated drinking water was associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, particularly in men.
Not only is chlorine a problem, but it forms disinfection byproducts (DBPs) when it combines with naturally occurring organic matter in the water. A well known DBP is chloroform, which is classified by the EPA as a Group B2, probable human carcinogen.
Chloroform is vaporized and released into the air through hot showers, swimming pools, or wastewater. It is a known central nervous system depressant causing liver damage and cardiac arrhythmias.
“While most people may think that ingesting a small amount of chlorine each day isn’t going to make a significant impact on health, evidence demonstrates it’s a toxicant to be avoided.”
– Hannah Cobb, CNHP
2. FLUORIDE – Dr. Frederick McKay, a dentist, was the first to discover fluoride while in Colorado in 1901. He observed that children living there had much stronger teeth because of the high fluoride content naturally occurring in the ground and well water.
In 1945, studies across America compared fluoridated and unfluoridated communities and concluded that fluoridated communities had 50-75% fewer cavities than other places without a high content of fluoride. This discovery lead to adding fluoride to our drinking water by 1962.
However, there are conflicting results from those studies, and other evidence contends that unfluoridated communities have just as much dental decline. Adding fluoride to our water isn’t the answer when it comes to preventing cavities and will only contribute to the toxin load on the body.
The well-known Mullenix study completed in 1995 showed that prenatal and postnatal exposure to fluoride was linked to impaired cognitive abilities such as attention disorders. Harvard University studies indicated that children who had consistent and large fluoride exposure showed as much as a seven point drop in IQ scores.
Fluoride exposure was also shown to increase the risk of kidney damage because of the kidneys being exposed to large amounts of fluoride compared to other organs in the body.
“The well-known Mullenix study completed in 1995 showed that prenatal and postnatal exposure to fluoride was linked to impaired cognitive abilities such as attention disorders. “
– Hannah Cobb, CNHP
3. LEAD – Heavy metals such as lead, aluminum, arsenic, and mercury can all be found in tap water, depending on location within America. Before 1930, lead pipes were used in most homes and water lines, causing significant issues with lead leaching into the water.
In addition, lead-based solder was used to fuse metal pipes up until 1986. Lead water lines are still in use today in various amounts in each state and are the main source of lead contamination in our water systems.
Toxic lead exposure causes damage to the nervous system affecting the brain and lowering cognitive function. Children are especially vulnerable and sensitive to the harmful effects of lead as it pertains to their developing neurological system.
One study showed the long-term effects of low-dose lead exposure during childhood and into young adulthood. A group of children were studied with elevated levels of lead in the dentin of their teeth that showed a correlation with impaired neurological function.
Eleven years later, a study of this same group found that those with dentin lead levels greater than 20 ppm had higher risks of dropping out of high school and reading disabilities compared with those who had dentin lead levels less than 10 ppm.
They concluded that harmful effects of toxic lead exposure in children did indeed persist into young adulthood.
“Children are especially vulnerable and sensitive to the harmful effects of lead as it pertains to their developing neurological system.”
– Hannah Cobb, CNHP
4. PFAS – Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals deemed “forever chemicals” that don’t break down once they are released into the environment.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 97% of Americans had PFAS in their blood. PFAS can be found in stain-resistant carpets and furniture, stain or water repellent clothes, personal care products, cosmetics, and nonstick cookware such as Teflon.
According to reports by the EWG, PFAS have been detected in water samples in thirty-one states across the country, with the highest levels found in heavily populated areas such as Miami, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and the northern New Jersey suburbs.
PFAS are completely unregulated by the EPA, and there is no federal legal limit established for water systems. PFAS exposure has been linked to cancer, reproductive problems, weakened childhood immunity, low birth weight, and endocrine disruption.
A study that observed women residing in areas with high PFAS contamination showed an increased risk of PCOS, which is a common hormone imbalance condition.
“PFAS can be found in stain-resistant carpets and furniture, stain or water repellent clothes, personal care products, cosmetics, and nonstick cookware such as Teflon.”
– Hannah Cobb, CNHP
5. GLYPHOSATE – Glyphosate, also known as RoundUp, is a common pesticide and weed killer used on crops. After Monsanto started commercializing its use in 1974, glyphosate became the most used pesticide in the world.
Because it is so widely used in agriculture today, glyphosate has contaminated our water systems and is found in tap water in seven different states, according to EWG reporting.
Those who drink unfiltered water, eat produce that has been sprayed with pesticides, and live near agriculture and farmlands are at greater risk of exposure. Animal studies have shown a correlation between glyphosate exposure and an altered gut microbiome with an increase in anxiety and depression-like behaviors.
In 2015, the World Health Organization announced that the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that glyphosate is a “probable human carcinogen”.
Evidence shows a connection between exposure to glyphosate and an increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that begins in the lymphatic system.
“Animal studies have shown a correlation between glyphosate exposure and an altered gut microbiome with an increase in anxiety and depression-like behaviors.”
– Hannah Cobb, CNHP
