How shower filters benefit health

Chlorine is often used to purify water for drinking and bathing. However, chlorine is very dangerous to health. Some of the health problems chlorine can cause are: cell damage, heart disease, bladder and breast cancers, hardening of arteries, respiratory complications, complications with asthma and bronchitis, and irritation to the nose and throat.

Also, a shower filter can help increase energy. Chlorine is a leading cause of fatigue. Using a shower filter can increase energy levels as well as help prevent major health problems.

How does chlorine cause these serious health problems?

Without getting too technical, 50% of exposure to chlorine happens in the shower. Part is done through the skin absorbing the chemical and the other is by inhaling the vapors released through a hot shower. The heat from a hot shower releases the chlorine vapors and can contaminate the lungs.

How shower filters benefit beauty

A shower filter will also help enhance one's natural beauty. Not only is chlorine incredibly damaging to the internal parts of the body, it is also as damaging to the outside of the body. Chlorine can cause the skin to become dry and damaged. Damaged skin can cause aging and wrinkles, lose its natural moisture, and can cause skin rashes. The use of a shower filter can prevent the need for expensive moisturizers and lotions

Chlorine will also dry hair out. By using a shower filter hair will stay more moisturized, prevent static electricity, prevent split-ends, and color in color-treated hair will last longer.

After using a shower filter in a matter of days it is easy to notice the difference it makes in hair and skin. Hair will become shinier, more manageable and sometimes the hair will begin to “heal” itself from the damage that chlorine had caused prior. The skin will have a natural glow as well as be less dry. Elasticity to the skin may begin to return that was one loss because of the drying effect chlorine can have.

References:

 Benefits of Shower Head Filters | Suite101 http://suite101.com/article/shower-filters-a41962#ixzz2PMB9p8XO 

15/Mar/2011

What are the Potential Health Effects of Bisphenol A?

From Larry West, former About.com Guide

Question: What are the Potential Health Effects of Bisphenol A?

Answer: Bisphenol A is considered an endocrine disruptor because it mimics estrogen, a natural hormone, and may fool the body by stimulating reactions that are unnecessary and potentially harmful.

Scientists have linked bisphenol A (BPA) to a higher incidence¹ of heart disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities in adults as well as brain and hormone development problems in fetuses and young children. Other tests have shown that bisphenol A can promote human breast cancer cell growth², decrease sperm counts in rats, and cause erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems³ in men.

Numerous studies have shown that bisphenol A leaches from plastics and resins when they are exposed to hard use or high temperatures (as in microwave ovens and dishwashers). Because bisphenol A is used in so many common products that we use every day—such as baby bottles, reusable water bottles, microwaveable containers, and the protective coating inside most food and beverage cans—most people in developed countries are exposed almost continuously to some level of bisphenol A.

Some official government organizations such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Food Safety Authority maintain that it is virtually impossible for most people to experience an unsafe level of BPA exposure in their daily lives.

Some of those conclusions have become controversial, however, especially in light of recent studies about the health effects of bisphenol A. The safety threshold set by the EPA was based on decades-old data, for example, and never updated. Even more troubling, the FDA finding was discredited when it was discovered that the agency had ignored the advice of its own scientists and allowed representatives of the chemical industry to write significant portions of the final document.

Amid these controversies, public concerns about the potential health effects of BPA continue to grow, and many scientists believe those concerns are justified.

In a 2004 study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found BPA present in the urine of 93 percent of those tested, and also concluded that many Americans are exposed to bisphenol A at levels above the safety threshold set by the EPA. The CDC data also revealed that children are more heavily exposed to BPA than adolescents who, in turn, had higher concentrations than adults. In addition, the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that there is definitely reason to be concerned that BPA may cause developmental problems in children’s brains and hormonal systems.

This About.com page has been optimized for print. To view this page in its original form, please visit: http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/f/bisphenol-a-health-effects.htm

©2012 About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.

Links in this article:

1. http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/bpa.htm
2. http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/bpa_cancer.htm
3. http://environment.about.com/b/2009/11/13/bpa-exposure-causes-sexual-problems-in-men.htm

Why Risk It?

A recent viral video has been sweeping the Internet, and just be warned: it is disturbing.  It shows a homeowner, quite literally, lighting his tap water on fire – a result of natural gas drilling in which surrounding drinking water supplies are contaminated by natural gas.

Of course, this is an isolated incident, but it underscores a perennial question posed by families: just how safe is my drinking water?

Well, the short answer to that question is that the safety of your drinking water is contingent on a host of factors, including the source of the water, the treatment process, and the quality of the pipes in your home. But it needn’t be that way if you install a top quality water filter like the Plumbed In Water Filtation Cooler with a low Micron rating carbon block filtration kit, preferably 5 micron or below.

Generally speaking, all tap water is tested according to the Environmental Protection Agency rules, and homeowners can contact their council directly if they have the time and wherewithal to examine the data.  That said, many homeowners aren’t taking any chances – with a fully serviced and maintained Call a Coolerwater filtration cooler, you can not only get environmentally-friendly and cost-effective water, but something that money can’t buy: peace of mind.

 Inspired by Pure 1!

What is BPA?

BPA or bisphenol-A is a chemical used to make plastics. It has been around since the 1960s. While the research is still ongoing the fact that there is some concern is raising eyebrows. To be clear, neither the EPA nor FDA has definitive data showing that BPA is harmful. They do make a recommendation to keep infants and young children away from bottles and cans that contain it.  In fact most baby bottles are now made BPA free for this very reason.  You will also notice these stickers becoming more and more commonly found on reuseable drinking bottles, as an indication of the publics increasing awareness on this issue.

A great way to steer clear of BPA is to make your own “bottled water” by using aBPA free reusuable drinking bottles and refilling it yourself from your Call a Cooler water cooler. Refilling these bottles with fresh filtered water for your kids school bags or for you or your partner to take to work will not only protect your family from the potential health risks asscoiated with BPA and chlorine but will also help your family budget.

Not only will a Call a Cooler Ezy Fill or a Plumbed in cooler save you money, with Earth Day 2012 about 6 weeks away, this is a great thing for the environment too!

Making the decision to adopt a greener, more environmentally sound lifestyle is something that more and more people are doing these days. As a result, we’ve all heard of the many benefits associated with such practices as recycling and taking public transportation once in a while. However, being a true friend to the environment means looking into greener alternatives in regards to all life’s little details. 

You’d be surprised how many people out there care about the environment, but never think to take a look at one of their most essential everyday staples – their drinking water. Everyone knows that tap water is practically undrinkable if you value your health. However, bottled water creates a ton of waste that isn’t good for the planet. Water dispensers, on the other hand, offer a green, environmentally friendly option that creates a winning situation for both you and our earth.

Less Energy Used Means Less Energy Wasted

Although bottled water is delicious and good for you, it requires a tremendous amount of energy to get it from the spring or reservoir it originated from to your refrigerator – much more than most people realise. The creation and filling of all those little bottles uses a vast amount of power and resources. Anyone looking to go green already knows how important it is to try to reduce one’s energy consumption to the greatest extent possible. Water dispensers offer you the same unlimited access to fresh, clean, healthy drinking water that those teensy little bottles do. However, they do it by using up far less energy and creating far less waste in the process.

Plastic Bottles Contain Hidden Toxins

The inexpensive plastics used to create the drinking bottle-sized water vessels you find at the grocery store are chock full of volatile toxins that can make their way into the water itself more easily than you think. All that needs to happen is for the bottle shipment to overheat during shipping. This causes those toxins to leech into the water the bottle contains. 

The horror doesn’t stop there either. Despite the ability to recycle plastics, many of those bottles nevertheless make their way into landfills anyway. This means those poisons will inevitably begin to seep into the earth itself sooner or later. They can also make their way into oceans and other natural areas, jeopardising the ecosystem and associated wildlife in those areas.

A Water dispenser gives you an alternative to supporting something that is so dangerous for the earth and for the people and animals who call it home. Less plastic means less waste and a safer product for your family to enjoy.

Doing Our Part

In the end, we’re all citizens of Planet Earth and it’s everyone’s duty to pitch in and help preserve the environment where and how we can. This means making smart decisions when it comes to everything… including the water we drink, cook with, and give to our children. Make a water dispenser part of your conscious decision to live better and live greener today!  To find out how you can benefit yourself by saving money  whilst doing the right thing for the environment, call us on 1300 79 33 03 or send us a message.

The Water Corporation has defended its quality assurance measures in the face of an increasing number of people unhappy about the quality of their water.

In its annual performance review of water providers, the State's economic watchdog revealed that in the 12 months to June last year, the Water Corporation had been hit with a 21.5 per cent jump in the number of complaints from Perth customers about water quality.

More than 5700 customers raised concerns about "discolouration, taste, odour, stained washing, illness or cloudy water", the Economic Regulation Authority said.

The rise, from about 4600 in the previous 12 months, drove the average number of complaints for all WA towns up by 5.4 per cent.

Water Corporation spokesman Phil Kneebone blamed the increase on a "major" incident in February in the southern Perth suburbs of Como, Bentley, Karawara, Wilson, Manning, Salter Point, Waterford and Bentley. He said the "unfortunate" incident, in which routine maintenance caused drinking water to turn brown, lay behind most of the increase in gripes.

Mr Kneebone insisted it held no implications for the State-owned utility's quality checks, saying the complaints did not concern safety and represented a tiny fraction of the corporation's customer base.

Water Minister Bill Marmion said the rise in complaints could be "solely attributed" to the incident.

He praised the performance of the Water Corporation after the ERA found service-related complaints and the average length of unplanned interruptions both fell.

At the same time, Mr Marmion has admitted the State Government was offering no incentives for householders to install costly greywater recycling systems, despite spruiking the technology as a water-saving tool.

Kevin Beckham, who paid more than $12,000 to install a greywater and rainwater system at his Leederville home last year, said he acted out of environmental obligation.

But he queried why the Government was not offering any money to encourage people to follow suit, saying it suggested "they want to have their cake and eat it as well".

We all know that drinking water is good for you, and plenty of us are happy to pay for it.

Bottled water is promoted as being fresh and free of impurities, but just how true are those claims?

A growing campaign is trying to stop the flow of the bottled water industry.

Click here to watch video:

http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/latest/article/-/10059996/bottled-water-industry/ 

The mouth-watering $60 billion bottled water industry turns over more than half a billion dollars in Australia alone.

In fact we drink 700 million litres of bottled water each year.

Jon Dee from Do Something is an active campaigner against bottled water. “It would cost them less than a cent to get the water out of the ground, and yet you're paying $2.50 to $3 a litre, or more for bottled water. That's twice the price of petrol."

According to Geoff Parker from the Australasian Bottled Water Institute, when it comes to bottled water, it’s all about convenience. “Our research shows the number one reason why people buy bottled water is for convenience."

Convenient? Sure. But is bottled water any healthier than what we can get out of the tap?

Today Tonight commissioned two independent labs to analyse seven unidentified samples. Six were high-selling bottled waters, and the other everyday tap water.

The lab tested for:

• mineral content
• sodium
• potassium
• magnesium
• chloride
• sulphate
• phosphate
• flouride

The second lab looked at contaminants and bacteria.

The results were surprising.

Tap water had lower sodium levels than some of big name brands, and slightly high levels of calcium. Otherwise there was hardly any difference, and no major signs of contamination.

On a country paddock, outside Wagga Wagga, at Big Springs water well, liquid gold bubbles to the surface. In this area spring water is just a couple of metres below the ground, and the water is so clean it's ready-made to be mined and pumped.

Big springs has been used by settlers for almost 200 years, but has sold to the public for the just twenty.

“We consume about five per cent of the well’s capacity. so there's an abundance that flows further down into the creek system," Big Springs’ Greg Hanson said.

Greg Hanson and his partner Pat Wilson run Big Springs. He water is pumped from the well by a simple system, similar to a pool pump. Every day Wilson loads it into a 25 thousand litre tanker.

In this fast turn-around business, it’s “48 hours from the ground to the table," Wilson said.

The tankers unload at the company's $1 million dollar processing plant. Most of the business for Big Springs is in big bottles for offices, and some smaller water bottles.

“The water is filted to 0.2 of a micron, and then we sanitise it,” Hanson explained.

The water costs 50 cents to a dollar a litre to produce. Outside this factory the price can rise five times.

“Unfortunately for us it gets marked up a lot after it leaves our manufacturing plant. And I think some cafes sell if for what they think they can get for it, rather than say ‘I'm only going to put 100 per cent on this," Wilson said.

Canberra University has become the first university in the world to ban bottled water sales. Vice Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker says “I think we're the largest community where there's no bottled water available for purchase."

“We couldn't see the case for selling bottled water in circumstances where you’ve got freely available tap water. So we discontinued the sale of all bottled water on campus," he explained.

140,000 water bottles used to be sold here. These have now been replaced with free water bubblers and low- cost flavoured and chilled water dispensers.

Up the road from the University is Bundanoon - the first town in the world to ban bottled water sales, replacing them with tap water.

Parker however is critical of bans, on health grounds, and says “UK research shows that once you remove bottled water as a sale option, 75 per cent of people will move to higher calory options."

Sales of bottled water have plateaued in the past year, as communities, schools, and governments consider ditching bottled water for everyday tap water, or for filtered options.

“At the end of the day it's water in a plastic bottle with a little label. Bottled water is undoubtedly a total rip off and Australians need to wise up to that scam. We have some of the best tap water in the world, and it's about time we starting drinking it," Dee concluded. mouth-watering $60 billion bottled water industry turns over more than half a billion dollars in Australia alone.

In fact we drink 700 million litres of bottled water each year.

Jon Dee from Do Something is an active campaigner against bottled water. “It would cost them less than a cent to get the water out of the ground, and yet you're paying $2.50 to $3 a litre, or more for bottled water. That's twice the price of petrol."

According to Geoff Parker from the Australasian Bottled Water Institute, when it comes to bottled water, it’s all about convenience. “Our research shows the number one reason why people buy bottled water is for convenience."

Convenient? Sure. But is bottled water any healthier than what we can get out of the tap?

Today Tonight commissioned two independent labs to analyse seven unidentified samples. Six were high-selling bottled waters, and the other everyday tap water.

The lab tested for:

• mineral content
• sodium
• potassium
• magnesium
• chloride
• sulphate
• phosphate
• flouride

The second lab looked at contaminants and bacteria.

The results were surprising.

Tap water had lower sodium levels than some of big name brands, and slightly high levels of calcium. Otherwise there was hardly any difference, and no major signs of contamination.

On a country paddock, outside Wagga Wagga, at Big Springs water well, liquid gold bubbles to the surface. In this area spring water is just a couple of metres below the ground, and the water is so clean it's ready-made to be mined and pumped.

Big springs has been used by settlers for almost 200 years, but has sold to the public for the just twenty.

“We consume about five per cent of the well’s capacity. so there's an abundance that flows further down into the creek system," Big Springs’ Greg Hanson said.

Greg Hanson and his partner Pat Wilson run Big Springs. He water is pumped from the well by a simple system, similar to a pool pump. Every day Wilson loads it into a 25 thousand litre tanker.

In this fast turn-around business, it’s “48 hours from the ground to the table," Wilson said.

The tankers unload at the company's $1 million dollar processing plant. Most of the business for Big Springs is in big bottles for offices, and some smaller water bottles.

“The water is filted to 0.2 of a micron, and then we sanitise it,” Hanson explained.

The water costs 50 cents to a dollar a litre to produce. Outside this factory the price can rise five times.

“Unfortunately for us it gets marked up a lot after it leaves our manufacturing plant. And I think some cafes sell if for what they think they can get for it, rather than say ‘I'm only going to put 100 per cent on this," Wilson said.

Canberra University has become the first university in the world to ban bottled water sales. Vice Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker says “I think we're the largest community where there's no bottled water available for purchase."

“We couldn't see the case for selling bottled water in circumstances where you’ve got freely available tap water. So we discontinued the sale of all bottled water on campus," he explained.

140,000 water bottles used to be sold here. These have now been replaced with free water bubblers and low- cost flavoured and chilled water dispensers.

Up the road from the University is Bundanoon - the first town in the world to ban bottled water sales, replacing them with tap water.

Parker however is critical of bans, on health grounds, and says “UK research shows that once you remove bottled water as a sale option, 75 per cent of people will move to higher calory options."

Sales of bottled water have plateaued in the past year, as communities, schools, and governments consider ditching bottled water for everyday tap water, or for filtered options.

“At the end of the day it's water in a plastic bottle with a little label. Bottled water is undoubtedly a total rip off and Australians need to wise up to that scam. We have some of the best tap water in the world, and it's about time we starting drinking it," Dee concluded.

Any thought about doing away with chlorine in the near future is just not realistic. It is also evidently clear that chlorine poses a very real and serious threat to our health and should be removed in our homes where ever possible.