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Posted: 12/21/10 Written by: Mark Harris

Most people are justifiably concerned about what is in the water that they drink and the water from their softener.  Informed people also are concerned about the water in their showers and baths.  Whole House Water Systems and water filters for the faucets are a potential solution to ensure that you get the best possible water in your house.
 
The recent report by the Environmental Working Group on Chromium-6 has many people questioning the safety of the water that comes from their municipal water company.  The study has been picked up by newspapers and web sites around the country and has made headlines like “'Probable carcinogen hexavalent chromium found in majority of US tap water”.  This sounds really bad, and has caused many people to question the safety of their water, and has many of our customers asking us if our system removes Chromium-6.  The simple answer to that question is that a LifeSource Whole House Water System does not remove this inorganic metallic element.  The GOOD news is that despite the headlines, this element is not present in most people’s water at a level that causes any health risk.

This is an example of story and report that makes a good headline, but needs to be examined more thoroughly.  Let me explain.  The EPA, via the Clean Water Act, sets standards for various contaminants that are present in water.  These standards are updated every 6 years, the most recent being in March of 2010.  The level set by the EPA for Chromium-6 is 100 parts per billion (PPB).  California has a more rigorous standard of 50 PPB.  So what was the highest level tested in the report?  Norman Oklahoma at 12.9 PPB.  The second highest?  Honolulu Hawaii at 2.0 PPB.  This is 50 times lower than the EPA standards and 25 times lower than the more rigorous California standard.  In fact, rain water has a level of about 1PPB, and only 7 of the 31 cities were tested to be above 1PPB.

So how can this study state that “Probable Carcinogen Found in Tap Water of 31 U.S. Cities”.  This is because they are using a “proposed standard” of 0.06 PPB, which is level so low that most municipalities cannot even detect it.  It is true that Chromium-6 is a known carcinogen, but it is proven toxic when inhaled, not when digested via drinking water.  To quote UC Davis scientists,
 
“There is limited evidence from a single laboratory study using mice that oral ingestion of high levels of chromium 6 may cause cancer in the gastrointestinal tract. There continues to be uncertainty in the scientific community whether or not chromium 6 can cause cancer when ingested at levels found in drinking water. Current scientific evidence indicates that chromium 6 is likely to be much more toxic when inhaled than when ingested. Although a drinking water standard has been established, long-term human health effects from consuming water containing more than 50 mg/L (50 PPB) of hexavalent chromium have not been identified."

But what about the famous movie Erin Brockovich, where the residents of Hinkley, CA were exposed to Chromium-6 and developed cancer?  The answer is that most cancers were caused by airborn exposure, and the wells that were contaminated had Chromium-6 levels that were over 580 PPB.

The tap water samples were collected by The Environmental Working Group, which is an advocacy group, not a scientific organization. A single sample from one tap does not represent the whole water system.  The Exova Group measured the chromium levels for EWG.  The LACSD has a good link that outlines the facts on this issue, which can be seen here.

This story has been picked up in so many places because it is sensational and scary.  It continues the myth that your tap water is unsafe, and is easily promoted because everyone has heard of Erin Brockovich, and Julia Roberts picture from the movie makes for a nice story (by the way, Julia is a LifeSource customer).  The companies selling Reverse Osmosis systems have already jumped on the story, and soon sales people across the country will be flashing these headlines to consumers to try to sell them a RO system.  We at LifeSource will continue to simply promote the facts:

1.     Your tap water is basically safe
2.    Don’t by a product to remove things that are not in your water in the first place
3.    Minerals in your water are good….leave them in
4.    Chlorine allows the water to reach your house safely, but it is best to remove it before it enters your house
5.    Don’t believe scare tactics.

In summary, don’t be scared and do your homework. 

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