Posts Tagged ‘drinking’

How Do Water Filters Work To Bring You Drinking Water Free From Contaminants

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

With the wave of contaminants that have hit our water supplies over the last couple of decades, more and more people are starting to wonder how do water filters work to protect themselves and their families.

But in order to get an understanding of how they work, you need to be clear on the kinds of contaminants that are present in your water supply and the features of a home water filtration system.

With regards to the chemical content of our water, there are around 80,000 chemicals used in industry, that can be make their way into in our reservoirs. Any combination of these chemicals could be in the water that you are drinking right now.

Over 2,000 of these chemicals have been documented as known carcinogens. So, how do water filters work to effectively remove these types of contaminants?

They work by utilizing a combination of an activated granular carbon filter (gac) and a multi media block. These two filters trap the chemicals, and turn them into solids, which are unable to penetrate the film across the filter face.

Apart from chemicals, there are also microscopic bacteria and parasites that are in your drinking water as well. These may cause stomach problems if ingested.

Contrary to what many people believe, not all of the microbes and parasites in your water supply are eradicated by the use of chlorine disinfection. Many still survive to pose a danger to the health of you and your family.

And how do water filters work to eliminate the risk of waterborne sicknesses affecting your family?

Through the use of what is known as a sub micron filter, all of the parasites and cysts become effectively blocked in much the same manner as with the earlier filters I talked. The exception is that the microbes are already in solid form, so they are basically trapped.

You should also be aware that toxic metals, such as copper and lead, can find its way into your tap water.

These metals generally find their way into your tap water by leaching off the plumbing fixtures that transport water throughout your house. So potentially harmful are these chemicals, that even in small quantities, ingesting lead contaminated water may cause neurological damage.

How do water filters work in order to remove the threat of heavy metal poisoning?

There is a device used called an ion exchange unit, that magnetizes the metal traces and then replaces them in your water with potassium and sodium. This filter will also keep the pH balance of your water perfect so that you water will taste great every time.

How do water filters work? They work by utilizing the 3 tiered filter system mentioned before, which pays attention to all kinds of drinking water contaminants at the same time; this ensures that nothing gets by.

You get obtain this tiered system in a high quality counterop or undersink drinking water filter. Very importantlyBusiness Management Articles, these purifiers are affordable and will help maintain the health and safety of you and your family.

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Aquasana Home Water Filters – #1 For Removing Drinking Water Contaminants

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

If you have even the slightest interest in having the cleanest drinking water in your home, you must have heard about Aquasana. There is a good reason for this; Aquasana is amongst the top home water purification systems on the market, if not, the very top.

Let’s explore for a moment the way that these appliances stack up against the other top names in the business.

Aquasana has been in the business of manufacturing water filtration systems for over 15 years. Currently, they possess 17 different patents and have sold more than nine million filters. This company prides itself on the fact that their water purification systems represent the absolute best value to the customer of any system being made.

The Aquasana system has been rated the best filtration device in the USA by the well-respected Consumer Digest Magazine. It offers your family all of the protection that they will ever need in order for them to maintain good health despite of all the contaminants that are in our water supply.

So, how does Aquasana purification system stand up to its closest competitor?

The closest filter does an ok job of removing drinking water contaminants but falls way short of what the Aquasana drinking water system can do.

For starters, the closest competitor blocks far less chlorine, lead, THMs and VOCs than Aquasana does, and to top it off, doesn’t remove MTBE from your water at all. Aquasana rids up to 99% of these drinking water contaminants. Some of these contaminants can cause serious damage to your health; cancer for example.

You can’t take a chance on even a small percentage more of these harmful contaminants getting into your the drinking glasses of that of your children.

How much money do you figure that the second rated filtration system sell for in a store? This filtration device retails for around $349 and yet for the price, it doesn’t do an adequate job of removing the contamiants found in your tap water.

Compare this to the Aquasana filter device that sells for the very reasonable price of $125 and you can see that Aquasana offers phenomenal value to the consumer.

The big difference between Aquasana water filtration system and lesser brands is its multi level filtering system.

Aquasana countertop water filters consist of an activated granular carbon filter and a multi media block to rid your water of chemical contaminants; a sub micron filter for eliminating chlorine-resistant waterborne organisms and an added feature known as an ion exchange device.

What the ion exchange feature does, is that it eliminates heavy metal contaminants that are in your tap water. Once it traps these elements, it exchanges them for sodium and potassium, thereby re-mineralizing your water.

The final act of this Aquasana feature is that it keeps the pH level of your water in balance guaranteeing you the freshest, purestArticle Search, best tasting water every time.

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Iron Water Filters – Not The Best For Filtering Drinking Water

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

Now I see that they have gotten around to trying to sell iron filters to residential customers.

The thing about these iron water filters is that they really don’t have much to offer you in the way of protection from the many contaminants that can be found in our water supply. They are too contaminant specific to offer you much help at all.

What these iron filters are primarily for is removing toxic heavy metals from your drinking water. They are highly recommended by some for their ability to effectively block iron, sulphur, manganese, sediment, and turbidity from your water, which is great.

However there are thousands of contaminants in our water supply that these types of filters are not equipped to deal with.

These iron water filters will do absolutely nothing to protect you from all of the chemical agents that are in our water supply.

There are about 2,100 of these chemicals in our water that are known to cause cancer in human beings. You need a filter that will effectively block these chemicals out. This is not the filter to do it with.

Another group of impurities that iron filters fail to deal with are the numerous parasites and cysts that breed in our water.

These microscopic menaces will many times survive the chlorine disinfection process, and will make anyone who is unlucky enough to ingest them severely ill. This illness can often be fatal in the elderly, and in small children.

Iron water filters are too limited in what they can offer you, and at a starting price of around $400, they should be able to offer you much more.

If you want to be able to remove heavy metals from your drinking water there is a much more affordable way in which to not only accomplish that task, but also get help with the other contaminants also.

Instead of iron filters what you need is an all around water purification unit that features an ion exchange filter.

This filter removes metals from you water just as effectively as those other types of filters do.But the reason that they are named as they are is because when they trap these metal traces, they release sodium and potassium in its place.

What iron water filters don’t offer you is the protection that can be had by the combination of an activated granular carbon filter, a multi media block, and a sub micron filter.

These three filters will effectively block 99% of all of the chemical and microbial contaminants that are currently present in your water. This combination is what you need if you want to feel totally safe.

You can buy the top rated counter top unit for a mere $125 dollars, which as we have learned is considerably less expensive than any of the iron filters that are available.

This unit contains all four of the filters that have been mentioned, and with all of this protection in your counter topPsychology Articles, your family can rest easy at night knowing that nothing can harm them.

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The Healthy Way To Remove Iron From Drinking Water

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

It is usually only when those first few red flakes begin to appear in their water glasses that people begin to realize that they have a problem. This is when they begin to search for information as to how to remove iron from drinking water.

Let me make it clear first that in and of itself, iron in our water is not 100% bad for us because our bodies need to have it in order to function properly.

Iron is actually considered to be an essential nutrient since it is what transports the oxygen in our blood. If everything is as it should be, you should be receiving no more than 5% of your daily recommended allowance of iron from the water that comes through your tap.

However when the amount of iron in your water surpasses the 0.3 mg/l (ppm) then it can affect the way that your water looks and tastes.

Even though it doesn’t do us any physical harm, people consider it a tremendous nuisance to have iron in their water. Have you ever seen your tap water turn red, brown, or yellow color or have a metallic taste and the offensive odor? That is iron.

Having this much iron in your water will stain your clothes, glassware, dishes, and your household fixtures such as your tub and your sinks. Iron can also build up and solidify inside of your household pipes and either restrict or completely block the flow of water.

In the vast majority of cases, it does not get quite that bad though, as most of the complaints that people have are simply limited to the taste and odor issues. These issues can be solved quite simply.

The solution will do more than just remove iron from your water but will also remove other metals from your water that truly are toxic to your body.

There are traces of many metal elements in our water supply and some of them, for example lead, can cause you great physical harm.

The ingestion of this metal element has been known to slow the development of children, cause mild to severe brain damage, and in extreme cases it has even caused death. There is no safe amount of lead that you can ingest.

The best solution as to how to remove iron from drinking water is to purchase a home drinking water purification system that has multiple stages of filtration and an ion exchange feature.

This type of purification unit not only removes all of the metal elements from your drinking water, but will substitute these dangerous metals with acceptable ions such as sodium, and potassium. This filter system also has everything that you need to protect you from other chemical contaminants in your water, such as herbicide, pesticides and pharmaceuticals.

Indeed, to remove iron from drinking water is just one consideration that you should have in your quest for healthier and safer drinking water. But to truly have the cleanest, healthiest drinking waterPsychology Articles, you’ll need to think about a whole range of other contaminants.

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Educating Teenagers About Drinking And Driving

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

The number one cause of death amongst youngster between the ages of 15 and 24 is drunk driving and so educating your teenagers about the dangers of drinking and driving is particularly important, not only for their own protection but for the protection of other road users and pedestrians.The first mistake which many parents make in this area is to assume that they do not need to raise the subject until their own teenagers learn to drive. You do not need to be behind the wheel of a car to understanding the dangers of drunk driving and, like everything else you teach your children, the earlier they learn the more likely the lessons are to stick.When it comes to the consequences of drunk driving teenagers need to fully understand just what it means to kill another person on the road and the devastating impact which this can have on their family and friends. But they also need to realize that many people are also injured as a result of drunk driving and they and their families may have to live with the consequences of severe injury for the rest of their lives. This is not always easy for a teenager to understand but it is a lesson which they need to learn.It is also important for teenagers to fully understand the consequences of being caught behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated. So, find out about the drink driving laws in your state and clearly spell out the consequences of a drink driving conviction. Explain to them that a drink driving conviction can not only land them in jail, but can also ruin their career prospects and prevent them from getting a good job.Now, despite your best efforts, it is still quite possible that your teenager is going to find himself in the position of having had too much to drink when he is out with the car and being caught between driving the car home when he knows he is not fit to do so, or calling you and getting yelled at for being so irresponsible. So, this too is something which you need to discuss with him before it happens.Remember that we all do silly things when we are young and the most important thing is to stay safe, learn our lesson and live to try again to get it right next time. So, if your child is in this position he must know that he can call you no matter what condition he is in or what time of the day or night it is to come and pick him up.This is not to say that you are condoning his actions in getting drunk or that he should not be punished for his irresponsibility. But your first job is to keep him safe and make him realize that he made the rightComputer Technology Articles, sensible and mature decision by calling you for help.Finally remember that there is no better way to teach your children anything than through your own example and that means making sure that you never drink and drive yourself. If your children see you leaving your car keys at home and taking a taxi to go out to a party then they will follow suit.

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The Fluoride In Our Drinking Water Controversy

Monday, October 6th, 2008

For over 30 years, the controversy has raged about the benefits or the hazards of human consumption of fluoride. Despite numerous studies conducted by such organizations as the World Health Organization (WHO) we seem to be no closer to definitive answers to the question of whether fluoride in our drinking water really does prevent tooth decay or if it is, in fact, contributing to major health problems like cancer and osteoporosis.

Fluoride occurs naturally in drinking water is some areas of the world, including parts of the United Stated and Canada. Many cities and towns also add fluoride to the drinking water supply during water treatment. The addition of fluoride to drinking water began in the 1940’s because it was believed that fluoride prevents tooth decay. Since that time, many studies have been conducted and there is evidence that fluoride does play a part in preventing tooth decay although it is believed that with the level of dental hygiene practiced today in the developed world the addition of fluoride to the water supply is unnecessary. On a more sinister side, other studies have concluded the fluoride may cause some very serious health problems. The following quotation is taken from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.

“Many communities add fluoride to their drinking water to promote dental health. Each community makes its own decision about whether or not to add fluoride. EPA has set an enforceable drinking water standard for fluoride of 4 mg/L (some people who drink water containing fluoride in excess of this level over many years could get bone disease,including pain and tenderness of the bones). EPA has also set a secondary fluoride standard of 2 mg/L to protect against dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis, in its moderate or severe forms, may result in a brown staining and/or pitting of the permanent teeth. This problem occurs only in developing teeth, before they erupt from the gums. Children under nine should not drink water that has more than 2 mg/L of fluoride.

”The EPA regulates the level of fluoride in drinking water because it recognizes the potential health hazards of the consumption of too much fluoride. Several countries in Europe, such as Sweden, France and Ireland have gone even further and sought medical advice from some very prestigious institutes such as the Nobel Medical Institute that recommends against fluoridation of drinking water and these countries have stopped adding fluoride to their drinking water.

A Harvard Study of boys drinking fluoridated vs. unfluoridated water, released April 5, 2006 concluded that boys who drink water with levels of fluoride considered safe by federal (EPA) guidelines are five times more likely to have a rare bone cancer than boys who drink unfluoridated water.

Dr. Hardy Limeback B.SC., Ph.D. in Biochemistry, D.D.S., head of the Department of Preventive Dentistry for the University of Toronto, and president of the Canadian Association for Dental Research states that “Children under three should never use fluoridated toothpaste,” he counseled. “Or drink fluoridated water. And baby formula must never be made up using Toronto tap water. Never.

“Even if we accept that the addition of fluoride at the EPA regulated levels, 1.4 and 2.4 parts per million (ppm) is save and will not increase our risks of developing bone or other rare cancers, we also need to consider the fact that many beverages we drink also contribute to the amount of fluoride we consume on a daily basis. In a study of fluoride levels in fruit juices, over 42% of the fruit juices tested were found to contain fluoride at over 1 ppm with some juices, particularly grape juices, as high a 3.0 ppm.

There seems to be as many scientists advocating fluoride as there are issuing warnings about it. In the meantime, we are left without clear answers about this long standing controversy. For those concerned about the potential health risks posed by fluoride consumption, or families with small childrenComputer Technology Articles, home water filters can be installed that are very economical and very effective at removing fluoride from drinking water.

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Parents That Support Teen Drinking

Friday, August 8th, 2008

As an adult you know you did plenty of stupid things when you were a teen. Maybe that’s why teen drinking is a growing problem. Maybe our guilt as parents prevents us from being too strict about teenage drinking. To add fuel to the fire, hundreds of times a day our children see and hear TV, radio and Internet messages that support and/or glamorize getting drunk. On TV when someone gets a raise they have a drink. When they finalize their divorce they have a drink. When they feel depressed they have a drink. When they need a few laughs they have a drink.

It’s an uphill battle for parents that want their kids to avoid the downsides of alcohol abuse. But what the heck you say, it’s just a “Right of passage.” If you rationalize letting teens drink at your house because “At least they’re not driving” then you’re asking for more trouble than you can imagine. Teenage drinking is at epidemic levels and getting worse. Not just for teens that drink but for the parents that don’t consider it a big deal.

Social host liability laws are now nationwide and the adults that let illegal teen drinking occur are going to make for some painful situations for their teens and their family.

Furthermore, the adults don’t have to be home to be held liable. Every city may have its own set of social host laws. Regardless, nationwide, social host laws will hold adults accountable for teens drinking. Jail time, fines, community service, and plenty of embarrassment are a few of the consequences but the real consequence comes when there is some accident or assault that occurs. The consequences of that last one go on forever.

The fact is this. All states now have zero tolerance laws. That means if you are under the age of 21 and you get behind the wheel of a car you are breaking the law if there is any level of booze in your body. No exceptions. That means one drink, two, or three. Hard liquor or wine. It seems that if that officer smells a bottle cap’s worth of moonshine on your breath that teen is going to be wearing silver bracelets right there.”

If you’re the kind of parent that likes to tie one on once in a while and don’t see any harm in letting young adults experience the joys of booze then you need a little reality check. Teenager are getting killed far too often after a few drinks and a little time behind the wheel. But our teenagers don’t necessarily suffer the consequences of poor choices all by themselves. Unfortunately, they usually take a few more victims with them. This isn’t moral preaching here, this is fact.

Let your teenagers drink and the likelihood of someone or something getting hurt goes way up. Could be a drunk-driving incident, could be alcohol abuse, could be sexual assault, and the list of wonderful side effects of being a little over-permissive go on and on.

Do yourself a favor and check your local laws about social hosting (providing the place for underage drinking and/or the alcohol) and make sure you and your children’s friend’s parents are aware of their legal and moral responsibility. Here are a few things you can do as a parent when your child is going to someone else’s house for a party or just a little hang time.

1. ASK YOUR KIDS QUESTIONS. Who is going to be there? Where are the parents? Is this a boy/girl situation? What’s the occasion? Will there be drinking or drugging there? (That last one is a bit blunt but it’s a good idea to teach your kids how to be direct and blunt too!)

2. CALL THE OTHER PARENTS. Yeah, you’re going to be appreciated and rejected at the same time. Other parents may not appreciate the fact that you would question them about this while other parents will be very appreciative of your inquiry.

3. SAY NO. If you have any suspicions that something is amiss, it probably is. If you don’t get the answer you wanted to hear out of your teenager or the parents you’re quizzing, then it’s time to muster up your adult courage and say “Nope! This isn’t happening tonight, we’ve got to find some options!” Then, find an alternative and sponsor it yourself. “You can’t go to the party but I’ll be glad to give you and three of your friends tickets to the movies, bowling, roller skating, etc.” Offer to make a big batch of their favorite snacks and rent a few movies at your house. Get creative but get real. Saying “no” doesn’t get any easier as your teenager becomes more and more independent.

When your kids accuse you of not trusting them, let them know it is not a matter of trust when it comes to the power of drugs and alcohol, it’s a matter of facts. People do stupid things under the influence and as a parent you know the facts.

Even though you may trust your child, you cannot trust people you don’t know or the persuasive power of “group think” when there’s other influences like peer pressure and booze pressure. By the way, parents also face an awful lot of peer pressure. They want to be “cool parents” for their kids and they don’t want to be the “prudes” down the street.

4. SAY YES. If you are comfortable that things are safe then go ahead and give your blessings. And, let your child know there are times when she has to call you and check in regardless of what the event is. Good times to check in are when they arrive, just before they leave to come home, just before bedtime (if a sleepover), etc.

If for some reason they forget to call you (and they will) then teach them that this is not acceptable and YOU pick up the phone and dial them. If they don’t answer their cell phone you might be a little suspicious. It’s a good idea to just make it a very simple rule. When your teen is away from home and you call, they better answer the phone. Of course, if your teen is in a movie theater and can’t pick up the phone or dial you they can call back when it’s over. If your kids get a little paranoid that you’re checking up on them then that’s not a bad thing.

Keep talking to other parents and make sure you let those who call you know how much you appreciate their concern. Make a pact with other parents whenever you can to check in with each other and compare notes.

5. PREPARE FOR SCREW UPS. If your teenage blows it and makes a mistake it’s important to have a plan. If he gets behind the wheel of a car and he’s afraid to call you or a cab then everyone is in real danger. Start repeating this over and over to your teen. No matter when, where, or under what circumstances it happens, if you make a mistake and get into a situation where there are drugs or drinking, your parents will always come and get you anytimeFind Article, anywhere with no questions asked.

If your teen is in a predicament where there is drinking taking place and she needs a way to extricate herself then give her a private code between the two of you that she can use when she calls home. She can call you and pretend to have an argument about why she should not come home. That way she can save face with her friends and maybe her life. Say this over and over because it could save some serious heartache.

If you make a habit of asking questions of your kids and their friend’s parents your kids may begin to wonder if you have eyes in the back of your head. They may be surprised to find out that you heard about so-and-so getting into trouble at the last party because your kids certainly weren’t going to share that with you. Being in-the-know is good for you and good for your kids.

Never forget – it is your job as a parent to protect your teens as long as you can. Keeping them away from alcohol until they are able to make adult-like decisions will work to everyone’s advantage. Studies have proven that the longer your child avoids alcohol and drugs the better chance they have of living a life free of its many painful consequences.

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