Chlorine, Tap Water and Cancer

In recent years, individuals have begun to seriously examine known carcinogens and
to protect themselves from these cancer-causing agents. Sunscreen has become an
important defense against skin cancer, and its use is on the rise. The number of
smokers attempting to quit rises each day, precisely because of new information
about the carcinogenic nature of cigarettes. According to The Cancer Association of South Africa the Research shows that up to 90% of cancers are caused by environmental factors.

The Cancer Assiciation of South Africa states that Up to 40% of cancers can be prevented by living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. This includes:

•Not using any tobacco products - smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world
•Eating high fibre and low fat foods
•Drinking lots of fresh clean water
•Getting plenty of exercise
•Watching your weight


The increase in such protective behaviors clearly indicates an increased interest in
protecting oneself from cancer risks. Still, droves of people continue to use and
drink unfiltered tap water, not knowing about or not believing in the insidious
nature of this substance. Whether we like it or not, the water that emerges from our
taps, however pristine it may appear, is filled with carcinogenic compounds. A
simple water filter can now serve as a valuable safeguard against cancer.

Chlorine and Tap Water:
Untreated tap water is filled with such dangerous contaminants as nitrate, arsenic,
microorganisms, and chemicals from pesticide runoff. Once this water reaches a
municipal treatment plant, many contaminants are removed. However, one of the
most dangerous contaminants is actually added to drinking water as a part of the
treatment process.
Chlorine, added as an inexpensive and effective drinking water disinfectant, is also a
known poison to the body. It is certainly no coincidence that chlorine gas was used
with deadly effectiveness as a weapon in the First World War. This gas was known
to severely burn the lungs and other body tissues when inhaled; it is no less
powerful when ingested by mouth. Each day, as we use unfiltered tap water, we are
effectively pouring bleach into our water before we drink it.
This poisonous chemical, accompanied by its byproducts, is now known to cause at
least three types of cancers, among other serious health problems. The U.S. Council
of Environmental Quality recently released a report stating that the risk of cancer is
93% higher among those drinking chlorinated water than among those not drinking
chlorinated water!


In South Africa the Cancer Assication released a report on contaminats in tap water and one of thier recomendations was By using state-of-the-art water purification technology at source and if necessary, at end
point.

E-Spring is a end point system that has been tested at an international level.

See more infomation about the Cancer Assiciation of South Africa's "Purity of Tap Water Project". https://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&news_id=75111&cause_id=1056#Fact

Water Risks

Risks to Water Supply and Water Quality

The Stakeholder Accord on Water Conservation of the Fund for Research into Industrial Development, Growth and Equity (Trade and Industry Chamber, 2009:i-vi) identifies the following major water quality risks:

1 Eutrophication of surface waters
Eutrophication emerges largely from fertiliser and livestock waste, inadequate wastewater treatment and sanitation infrastructure, as well as household waste, which leaches or runs off into the natural water resources. This results in algal blooms, which disrupt water transfer and irrigation systems, and increased toxicity of water associated with higher nutrient levels and the type of algae prevalent in such blooms.

2 Heavy metal contaminationHeavy metal contamination poses a significant risk to drinking water quality and, consequently, human and animal health. Studies have shown this to emanate largely from the mining sector.

3 Acid mine drainageAlso related to coal and gold mining activity, acid mine drainage, which results from the oxidisation of iron sulphide, raises the acidity and salinity of water. The contamination has negative effects on water quality and thus human and animal health, and also on industrial activity. Polluted water in the Witbank and Middelburg Dams has been rising, risking usability for electricity generation. To circumvent this, water has been pumped from nearby rivers to dilute the effluent. Acid mine drainage is particularly prevalent on the Witwatersrand and in Mpumalanga.
Stakeholders have acknowledged the risks of acid mine drainage, however implementation of measures to reduce it have been slow.

4 Increases in salinitySalinity, a natural consequence of groundwater discharge and geological leaching, is exacerbated by mining, agricultural and industrial activity. This has adverse impacts on the quality of drinking water, as well as on soil quality.

5 Increased levels of suspended solids
High levels of suspended solids have potentially significant ecological impacts, and are mostly caused by land use practices in mining, agriculture and human settlement activities.

6 Bacterial and viral pathogens
Bacterial and viral pathogens raise the vulnerability of people, especially children and the elderly, to various diseases. These risks arise mostly from inadequate access to sanitation and problems with waste water treatment. This is concomitant with a sharp increase in urbanisation which has added to the historical backlog, placing access to municipal services under pressure and highlighting the desperate need for additional infrastructure.
According to the 2009 Green Drop report, 55 per cent of South Africa‟s waste water treatment plants need attention, and only seven per cent conform to Green Drop status requirements.

See the full water report by visiting: http://www.polity.org.za/article/the-south-african-water-crisis-an-economic-impact-study-november-2010-2010-11-16