In
1986, the American Chemical Society in Anaheim, CA said that,
“people are exposed to more potentially harmful
indoor pollutants in home, office or car than outdoors”.
Its
worrying to know that you could be being poisoned in the very
place you feel most safe. The quality of our water is extremely
concerning for all of us but the issue can be extremely pressing
at home when you have not just yourself but your whole family
to think of. Particularly at risk are children, the elderly
and the immuno-compromised. |
 |
| There
are two main ways that contaminated water can affect you in
your home- through your drinking water and through bathing.
|
 |
Would
you prefer to talk to someone? Dial 020 8558 7495 or click here
to contact us.
Drinking
Water
Why do I need to filter my drinking water?
The quality of the water you drink each day makes a
vital contribution to your health, fitness and life
expectancy.
Environmental pollutants present water treatment plants
with ever increasing problems. Each day, they try to
remove up to 800 different residual chemicals,from oestrogen
to rust.Is it any wonder they often fail? |
|
|
No
surprise then that over half of British adults now regularly
prefer to drink bottled mineral water at home. But many of
these people would be shocked to learn that European standards
for factory-bottled water are actually lower than for ordinary
tap water! The reality is that very little of the water we
drink meets the standard of purity we expect or deserve. Unfortunately
it can often be difficult to tell whether we are drinking
pure, health-giving, fresh water, or slowly poisoning ourselves
with traces of antibiotics, pesticides,
effluent, chlorine and the rest. |
|
To
solve the problem, more and more concerned people are turning
to the one solution that is firmly in their own hands- installing
a water purification unit in their own home.
But I use bottled water… surely that’s
just as good?
FACT: Bottled water is the fastest growing beverage in the
market place
FACT: European standards for factory-bottled water are lower
than those for ordinary tap water,
|
 |
In
Britain today more than half of adults now use bottled
water at home. Up to 80% of bottled waters on the market
are in fact processed waters which may be demineralised
or have contaminants left in, upsetting the body’s
natural balance. Only with a home water filtration system
can you take full control of the water that you and your
family drink. |
|
| Furthermore,
the very bottles within which water is stored are a source of
plastic contamination and,
if stored in sunlight for prolonged periods bacterial and algal
growth may be a problem. Not so with a Fresh Water Filter purification
system, which filters water on demand so that it is always available,
fresh, when you need it. |
Compare the cost of bottled water with using some of our most popular
systems! (Costs compiled for a family of four)
*=
based on drinking water use only assuming each family member drinking
the recommended 2 litres of water daily. Cooking, etc, use tap water.
**= based on a cartridge change every six months. Each cartridge
can deliver up to 3000 litres of water.
***= based on a cartridge change every six months and a change of
membrane every five years. The unit delivers a maximum of 227 litres
per day at an optimum pressure of 25ºC and pressure of at least
5 bar.
Filtration
for the Rest of Your Home
The
danger of using unfiltered water throughout the rest of the home
was first brought to light by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Quality Engineering. Their study suggested that the skin is the
primary means by which we absorb toxic chemicals. According to Donna
Bishop of the MDEQE, “the skin is really the body’s
largest organ. Once a chemical gets through the outer layer, the
epidermis, there is almost nothing to stop it”. Indeed, up
to two thirds of our daily exposure to harmful chlorine
may occur whilst washing.
There
are two main ways by which toxic chemicals may enter our bodies
whilst washing.
Inhalation:
volatile chemicals such as chlorine vaporise when they are heated.
The steam we inhale when showering can contain up to 50 times the
level of chemicals found in cold tap water.
Skin
Absorption: absorption of chemicals through the skin is almost always
greater than through ingestion, accounting for up to 91% of excreted
chemicals. Furthermore, in the warm, humid environment of a shower
or bath, our pores dilate making it even easier for the skin to
absorb chemicals.
Are
We All at Risk?
 |
The
MDEQE study concluded that children, women and the elderly are
the most susceptible. A child’s skin is immature and sensitive;
women generally have a higher ratio of body fat than men; the
elderly often experience a mild breaking down of the skin that
reduces its efficiency as a barrier. That does not mean, however,
that the rest of the population is exempt as all human skin
will readily transport toxic chemicals and, under certain conditions,
extremely easily. The process of absorption can be especially
rapid when the chemicals are very dilute as they are in domestic
water supplies. Some chemicals may also combine with other common
substances, such as soap and chloroform which causes a catalytic
effect, speeding the absorption even further. |
|
The
study also found that some areas of the skin are more absorbent
than others, for example the scalp, the forehead, the abdomen,
the underarm and any wounded or infected skin. Simple actions
such as occlusion of (putting a plaster over) the skin may
enhance absorption. |
| What
are the Solutions?
Filter your water either at
the point-of-entry into your house with one of our Whole-house
filtration systems or at the point-of-use with a Shower
Filter.
Click here
to view our entire range of products for the home
|
| Water
Softeners
A
large proportion of the UK is underlain by limestone bedrock.
When water passes through this bedrock, it picks up calcium
carbonate (CaCO3), which is the cause of hardness in our water.
Whilst calcium and magnesium minerals in our drinking water
may be extremely beneficial to our health , they can cause
all sorts of trouble in the water we use around the rest of
our home. The problems hardness causes are not just confined
to minor irritations. The blocking of pipes and appliances
by limescale can cost thousands of pounds each year.
|
 |
 |
Hard
water can be a particular problem in the kitchen when water
is heated. The solubility of CaCO3 decreases with increased
temperature and solid CaCO3 precipitates out at 70°C resulting
in a build up of limescale in your pots, pans and kettle,
a film on your tea and sediment at the bottom of your hot
drinks- hardly a nice impression to give to guests!
The
benefits of water softening are clear. What is more, a study
by British Water in 1998 confirmed that there is no health
risk, as was once worried, associated with drinking softened
water. |
Look
at our hard water map of Britain and the symptoms to consider
whether you are suffering from water hardness, which could
be easily remedied with a water softener.
The
hard water map of Britain
|
| The
Symptoms: ·
Dry, itchy, irritated skin.
· Meagre lather from your soap and bubble bath.
· Rough, brittle clothing, sheets and towels.
· Lacklustre shine on your glasses and crockery.
· Limescale residue on your bathroom and kitchen fittings,
for example an unpleasant water mark around your bath.
· You have to use copious cleaning and washing up products
to get the lather and efficiency you need.
· Cleaning takes a lot longer than it should.
· Clogged pipes and heating elements can increase your
household’s running costs by up to 70%.
· Scum in your tea- CaCO3 precipitates out of the water
when it is heated to 70ºC, leaving behind a limescale
residue.
The
solution:
Our
water softeners use ion-exchange to eliminate hardness from
your water and improve water quality throughout your home.
Click
here to view
our range of water softeners for your home
|
| |
|
|
