Water is fundamental to virtually every function of the body. But today, the water supply (particularly in the United States) is polluted both at the source, and with man's attempt to "sanitize" the water (which we'll discuss more below). Speaking of water pollution, let's take a look at the common water pollutants in the United States.

Most Common U.S. Water Toxins

Those are the top one hundred pollutants that can be found in Americans' tap water, in various concentrations and proportions, depending on one's location. It goes without saying that our water supply is tainted; there's no way around this fact. The culprits are, well, multiple: we are paying a price for industrialization, for the agricultural revolution, for our life-styles (overuse of drugs, non-biodegradable substances in our households etc.), for our hygiene routines, etc. I could go on and on.

But the fact remains: our water supply in most of America contains chlorine by default, and varying quantities of dissolved chemicals and minerals, including magnesium, calcium, sodium, chlorides, bicarbonates, sulfates, together with traces of manganese, iron, aluminum, copper, insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, prescription meds (antibiotics, mood stabilizers, anti-convulsants, sex hormones etc.). The matter is made worse by Uncle Sam's policies, which do not set safety limits on municipal water supplies for drug contamination, nor require any type of testing for drugs.

Chlorine and Chlorine Byproducts

Since chlorine (bleach basically) is added by default to practically all our municipal water as a disinfectant (because it's cheap, not because it's safe, by the way) since the 1900s, here are some of its proven health-effects:

• Chlorine is an enzyme-damaging halogen, which is known for years to worsen/cause respiratory issues, like pneumonia and asthma.
  
  
• Chlorine also disrupts our immune systems, worsening allergies.
  
  
• Chlorine's biggest risk comes from its dangerous byproducts, THMs respectively (trihalomethanes). THMs are produced when organic proteins contact chlorine. A well known THM is chloroform, a cancer causing substance. 
  
  
• Chlorine is proven to be a contributing factor to bladder and colon cancers, as well as kidney stones, diabetes and heart attacks.
  
  
• Upon ingestion, chlorine causes magnesium deficiencies and weakens the immune system, which translates into high blood pressure, migraine headaches, decreased calcium absorption (which leads to osteoporosis in the long term) and so forth and so on.
  
  
• Another byproduct of the chlorination process are dioxins, which are also present in municipal waters, and well known for causing neurological damage and cancers, among other issues.
  
  

Federal agencies found traces of eighteen unregulated contaminants in 33 percent of the water samples taken from twenty-five municipal water-utilities from all across the US, including PFOA (perfluorinated compounds). PFOA in drinking water is associated/linked to ulcerative colitis, high cholesterol, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, infertility,  immune system problems and kidney cancer.

PFAS - An Industrial Hazard

Another toxin found in the tap water of millions of Americans is PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances), an industrial chemical linked with various health problems, including cancer. Over 6 million people living in the US drink tap water that exceeds EPA/FDA recommended safety limits for PFASs in their public drinking water supply, and that's according to a study conducted by scientists from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study appeared in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, and here's a quote:

“In addition, the actual number of people exposed may be even higher than our study found, because government data for levels of these compounds in drinking water is lacking for almost a third of the U.S. population—about 100 million people.”

PFAS are still widely used in various industries, including food packaging, cleaners, clothing, fire-fighting foams and non-stick cookware, and the problem is that regular wastewater treatment technology fails at effectively removing PFASs.

Blue Babies

Nitrites and nitrates are a common problem when it comes to ground water pollution, due to the fact that these chemical fertilizers are widely used and they can easily contaminate wells via groundwater movement, water runoff or surface water seepage. High levels of these contaminants in drinking water are very dangerous especially to infants, as they produce the "blue baby syndrome" also known as methemoglobinemia (nitrates/nitrites reduce the blood's capacity to transport oxygen to the tissues/organs).

Pathogens

Microorganisms in tap-water are another common occurrence, and they include parasites, viruses and bacteria. Private water wells and public water sources can easily get contaminated via water runoff from snowmelt or rainfall, not to mention waste-leakage from effluent septic tanks/underground storage tanks located in the close vicinity of a public water source. Consuming water contaminated by microorganisms may result in serious diseases, ranging from potentially fatal infections to gastrointestinal illnesses.

Heavy Metals

Our tap water supply may also contain traces of heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, antimony, copper, chromium, selenium, lead and many more. Heavy metals can infiltrate private wells and/or public water sources via surface water runoff/seepage and groundwater movement, but also from household plumbing/service lines (some piping is made of lead), petroleum refineries, mining operations, municipal waste disposal, natural mineral deposits, cement plants and so on and so forth. High levels of heavy metals (they tend to accumulate over time) are very toxic, leading to cancer, anemia, kidney-liver-intestinal damage and neurological problems.

Another huge issue with regard to America's tap water pollution extravaganza is that the federal laws regulating our public drinking water supply is almost 4 decades old, i.e. it's so out of date it's ridiculous. The Safe Drinking Water Act only regulates 91 contaminants, yet more than sixty thousand chemicals are currently used within the US. Hundreds of those are associated with health risks, including cancers and neurological diseases.

The Solution

With all these facts in mind, it's of utmost importance to use a high quality water filtration system. Multipure guarantees the efficacy of their products through their NSF certifications, unlike many other players on the market, whose word must be taken at face value. Multipure water filtering systems like the Aquaversa (our best selling, Consumer Reports recommended model) are certified to remove all the contaminants listed above, including chlorine, pesticides, microorganisms, PCBs, and trace pharmaceuticals. As a fun factoid, Multipure water filtration systems are used in the US military and foreign embassies (they're proven in "battle" so to speak), but also by hospitals, restaurants and major airlines.

Remember, if you're not using a filter, YOU are the filter!