Top 6 Scariest Water Contaminants and How to Remove Them

Water pollutants. They are invisible to your naked eye, but your water may be highly contaminated.

You must know what you are up against before eradicating these impurities.

Here are the top six scariest water contaminants and how to remove them.

Top 6 Scariest Water Contaminants and How to Remove Them

1. Lead

Lead was used in the plumbing systems but was banned after it was discovered to be highly toxic.

Unfortunately, most pipes, faucets, and plumbing fixtures are still using Lead today.

Lead exposure can cause constipation, anemia, stomach pain, loss of appetite, headache, weakness, memory loss, pain, or tingling in the hands and feet.

Water contamination by Lead can damage the kidney and brain and even cause death at higher levels.

Pregnant women should be careful because Lead can cross the placental barrier. Even at a low level, it can damage the fetus's nervous system.

High lead levels in tap water have been found in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Newark, New York, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. 

How to remove Lead

Reverse osmosis, activated carbon, and ion exchange can remove Lead in the water. 

2. Chlorine

Chlorine disinfects contaminated water from microbes. It is also considered one of the most effective algae killers.

A high level of Chlorine can lead to pulmonary edema.

Chlorine can form byproducts when mixed with other chemicals that cause skin irritation and kidney problems and can increase cancer risk.

Both city and municipal water have Chlorine in them.

Activated carbon adsorbs Chlorine. Reverse osmosis has carbon pre-filter and post-filter that can prevent Chlorine from passing through its membrane.

3. Arsenic

Arsenic naturally occurs in geological formations. The industrial, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries use them too.

Dissolved Arsenic is carried into the streams and other water sources that may be used as your water supply.

What happens when you drink contaminated water with Arsenic? Heart disease, diabetes, lung, skin, bladder, kidney, and other cancers may develop. It can also impair children's mental processes.

Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Scottsdale, and Tucson have natural arsenic sources with levels higher than what is allowed by the EPA.

Water filter pitcher, carbon block filters, and reverse osmosis can reduce Arsenic in the water.

4. Nitrate

Nitrate is one of the most common water pollutants.

It can come from an overflow of fertilized soil, wastewater, landfills, animal farms, or urban drainage.

Nitrate can cause nausea, headaches, digestive and respiratory problems, and brain damage. It can be fatal.

Methemoglobinemia can also occur, especially in babies. The skin, lips, and fingers turn blue-gray, causing the blue baby disease.

High nitrate levels are prevalent in areas near agricultural lands and wastewater dumps.

Distillation, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis eradicate Nitrate.

5. Mercury

Industrial wastes, mining wastes, and runoff from landfills are the common sources of Mercury seeping into your water.

This top water contaminant can seriously impact the nervous, digestive, immune systems, lungs, and kidneys. Some effects are tremors, impaired vision and hearing, paralysis, insomnia, and emotional instability.

Like Lead, it can also cross the placental barrier and delay the development of unborn babies.

Texas is the top hot spot for Mercury. New York, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts are also areas of concern for high mercury levels.

Distillation, reverse osmosis, granulated activated carbon (GAC) filters, and water softeners reduce the presence of this water contaminant.

6. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)

PFOA or PFA is known for its non-stick property in cookware.

Liver damage, weaker immune system, hormone suppression, thyroid disease, infertility, high cholesterol, obesity, and kidney and testicular cancers are the common effects of exposure to PFOA or PFAs.

It is primarily present in areas near industries using this chemical. This contamination affects Michigan, California, and New Jersey the most.

Carbon block filters and reverse osmosis removes PFOAs and PFAs from the water.

Conclusion

These top impurities in your water can be removed using different water filters.

A reverse osmosis water filter system is considered one of the best and most effective ways to eliminate these contaminants in water.

It can remove not only large particles like silt or sand but can also block delicate bacteria, viruses, dissolved minerals, and heavy metals.

Get a reverse osmosis water filtration system, and don't let these scary water contaminants damage your home fixtures and health.