The Water Report

Health begins with clean water

It is currently estimated that less than 1% of the Earth’s surface water is deemed safe to drink. Just as consuming organic foods is a way to avoid ingesting toxins, becoming aware of the quality of the water one drinks is essential. Water is needed by every cell in the body. Without water, nutrients can’t get to the cells where they are needed, wastes can’t be removed from the body and the brain can’t function. Water comprises 90% of a baby’s body and optimally 70% of an adult’s. Our brains are 90% water – even our bones consist of 22% water.

Chlorine – the first major contaminant:

The routine dumping of questionably safe chemicals into municipal water supplies began with chlorine, used to eliminate waterborne diseases. Unfortunately, chlorine is a highly volatile chemical, and commonly bonds with industrial pollutants in waterways forming a class of toxic chemicals called tri-halo-methanes (THMs), an example of which is chloroform. Further more, pesticide run-offs from agriculture brings other toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons such as DDT, PCBs and dioxins.

Chlorine in drinking water has been linked to increased incidence of bladder and rectal cancers by Harvard University and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Chlorine is also linked to body protein damage and thyroid dysfunction. It causes dry skin and hair by stripping away protective oils, burns the eyes and vaporizes affecting the lungs. If you suffer from asthma, sinus problems, allergies, skin rashes or emphysema, chlorine in your water may well exacerbate your condition. All your aquarium fish will die within a matter of minutes if you add tap water to your fish tank without also including a de-chlorinator to remove the chlorine. Surely that tells us something about the danger of drinking chlorine?

But does chlorine remove diseases from our water? Not entirely. Many parasites and viruses thrive irrespective of chlorination. Cryptosporidium and Giardia Lambdia, which both cause gastrointestinal illness, enter lakes and rivers through sewage and animal waste. Both parasites are unaffected by chlorine, and at only a few microns in size they are difficult to filter out.

Metals – a modern problem inherited from old pipes:

Heavy metals, specifically lead are also common in our water supply. Very few water systems can remove lead. Lead may be a particular problem in older homes where lead solder was used to join copper pipes. If the water supply is acidic, it will eat away at the lead and copper overnight, so that your first water in the morning may hold high levels of both metals. For this reason it is always a good practice to run the tap for a minute or so before using water first thing in the morning. Children and pregnant women are most susceptible to the known health risks of lead.

Synthetic chemicals and drugs:

As our society advances ever more ways to create new substances, we are seeing more and more synthetic substances turn up in our water supply. These include xenoestrogens, hormones, pain killers, tranquillisers, and almost every other drug imaginable including Prozac and Viagra. This is happening now, and has increased alarmingly as we become a drug-dependent society. Drugs enter water systems through water recycling, garbage disposals interfering with water tables, and just thoughtless dumping by individuals.

‘Purification’ chemicals:

Lastly, over 50 different chemical compounds are used just to ‘purify’ our water. In order to ‘purify’ municipal water before re-introduction to your home up to 50 different chemical compounds are used. These include Calcium Hydroxide, Chlorine Compressed Liquefied Gas, Sodium Fluoride, Aluminum Sulphate Solution, Soda Ash Solution, Sodium Hydroxide, Aluminum Sulphate, Polymer 1190, Polymer 1115, Polymer 1160X, Sodium Hypochlorite solution, and Sodium Silicofluoride. There is no guarantee that traces of these chemicals are not left in our water when it arrives at our kitchen tap.

So what are our alternative sources of water?

• Bottled spring, mineral and filtered waters
• Various types of point-of-use water purification

Bottled water:

Bottled water that is packaged in plastic containers absorbs chemicals from the plastic – the taste alone is easily detected when the water is at room temperature. All bottled waters are filtered to some degree, and thus as a consumer we know little more about bottled water then we do about our municipal supply, other than its source. Water that has 500 parts per million dissolved solids is defined as “mineral water”. Some mineral waters may be extremely high in a particular mineral which could potentially create an imbalance in some people if consumed in sufficient quantities over time.

Additionally bottled water doesn’t guarantee the consumer a bacteriologically safe water. Many studies have been done a spectrum of bottled waters with results showing that the incidence of bacteria in bottled water is not uncommon – and why should it be when it is not a requirement for bottled waters to undergo filtration at 1 micron or below?

If one is going to buy bottled water, it is clearly best to purchase glass bottles, but with obvious increases in cost and weight, with no gain in knowledge about the quality, a home purification system presents an efficient, convenient and economical solution. But with so many systems to choose from, how do you know which is best. Reverse osmosis, carbon block, distillation, ionization, or the hundreds of other permutations and combinations?

Demystifying water filtration

The system types detailed below are kitchen systems, which means they produce pure water at your kitchen sink for primary water consumption and use in cooking etc. Whole house filtration is rare but for many people with chemical sensitivities such systems are essential. Increasingly popular too are shower filters – less expensive than whole house filtration, chlorine is conveniently removed at the next most popular water outlet to the kitchen sink, providing relief to sensitive skin and dry hair and scalps.

Carbon Block filtration

Compressed, activated, charcoal blocks (formed from coconut husks!) are the most inexpensive way to protect against pollution in our water. Capable of removing most contaminants (certainly all of those discussed here), they present the most popular home filtration method. Contaminants that are physically larger than the granules of the media will be blocked from passage while other undesirable elements of drinking water (such as chlorine and VOCs) are encouraged to break their chemical bond with the water molecules and attach to the filter media – typically with an effectiveness of over 99%.

Most carbon block systems fit under the sink but some are available as easily installable counter-top systems. Additionally, this method of filtration is the only practical means if one wishes to filter the entire household at point of entry.

Look out for the level of filtration in microns. Block filtration can be as fine as 0.5 microns, and it’s at this level that removal of heavy metals is possible. Less fine block filtration will still remove >99% of chlorine and THM’s.

Pitcher filters: Simple filter jugs utilize small carbon blocks to achieve a very basic filtration of around 5-10 microns. Although the investment is small, the running costs are high and performance is poor. For example, only around 75% of the chlorine is removed, none of the THM’s, and no chlorine resistant parasites.

Mixed media filtration

Increasingly common are mixed media filters, sometimes as a multiple-stage series of filters or as a single ‘layered’ filter cartridge. Where you see carbon filters claiming higher filtration levels such as 0.1 microns this is achieved with mixed media.

Pre filters: These are often used in mixed media solutions to alleviate the main cartridge media from large particulate and sediment. Often a wound polypropylene media working to around 5 microns, this inexpensive media extends the life of the main filters.

Ion Exchange: This type of media relies upon mineral electrical charges to pull various toxins out of the water. This is done via ion donation, usually of potassium, which even has the advantage of mildly alkalinising the water. As filters increase in complexity the importance of frequent replacement rises as features such as ion exchange have a limited lifespan/capacity for purification.

Ceramics: Ceramic membranes can achieve ultra-fine filtration down to as little as 0.01 microns. However, membranes can crack under pressure and clock if sufficient pre-filtration isn’t achieve. Again this feature increases the frequency of cartridge replacement.

Reverse Osmosis (RO)

RO units are presumed to be a means of ‘total’ filtration, i.e. producing H2O and nothing else. They do remove elements that carbon block filtration does not – they remove inorganic mineral salts (such as fluoride and nitrates) and soluble minerals (calcium, magnesium etc) – but this is not the whole story.

RO was invented for use on submarines as a method of desalinating seawater, working with a semi-permeable membrane and a source of pressure. Water is forced to move against its natural flow pattern (osmosis) from a solution of high saline concentration to a solution of low saline concentration through the semi-permeable membrane. The filter membrane is only designed to remove particles from water that are physically larger than water molecules – otherwise it would crack (and sometimes it cracks anyway – membranes are usually replaced every 1-3 years) – therefore synthetic chemicals and especially chlorine are not removed. Such chemicals are physically smaller than water molecules and can pass easily through the membrane. Therefore a RO system is only as good as its post filter or ‘polishing’ filter which is going to be a carbon block for the absorption of these chemicals.

RO water, void of electrolyte minerals is to a large degree a solvent, and this is acidic (approximate pH 5.5) due to its ability to instantly displace carbon dioxide from the atmosphere creating carbonic acid. RO systems are substantially more expensive then carbon block systems and they are extremely wasteful too, operating at between 25%-33%. This means that some systems waste 3 litres of water in order to produce only 1 litre, and thus water is not produced on demand but continuously and drawn from a plastic storage tank.

Where you do find RO in practical use is for aquariums and systems that require de-mineralized water.

In summary, RO is not a system we recommend for daily consumption unless you have particular sensitivities to some of the more difficult to eliminate contaminants that RO removes. In any case if you know which specific contaminant you are sensitive too there is likely to be a specific filter medium that would eliminate it at a far low cost then a complete RO system.

Finally, if you do use RO, consider re-mineralizing.

Water distillers

Long associated with a means of producing safe drinking water, modern distillers are an easily accessible, portable counter top purification process, where water is heated and the vapour collected. Similar to RO, distillation is wasteful (approximately 80%), acidic (for the same reason detailed above) and wrongly deemed as a means of ‘total’ filtration. Water distillation boils water and collects the vapour and thus is only able to remove contaminants with a lower boiling point than water, such as minerals (including beneficial ones). Chlorine, THMs, volatile organic compounds and dioxin have a similar (or lower) boiling point then water, and thus are not filtered out by distillation. Consequently, distillation is not highly effective at providing safe drinking water due to its inability to remove the primary contaminants of municipally treated water. If your water came from a reliable natural source however, then the original purpose of distillation (to ensure removal of bacteria) would be served with less compromise.

The other problem with distilled water is that it is structurally ‘dead’ due to the heating process destroying the water structure. Unstructured water is so foreign to the body that one actually gets a temporarily high white blood cell count in response to drinking it. Water structure is discussed further below.

Water without minerals can be a health problem. Dr. Zoltan Rona has authored an excellent paper on ‘Pure Water’ recommending in no uncertain terms against its continued consumption.

According to the U.S. EPA: “Distilled water, being essentially mineral-free, is very aggressive, in that it tends to dissolve substances with which it is in contact. Notably, carbon dioxide from the air is rapidly absorbed, making the water acidic and even more aggressive. Many metals are dissolved by distilled water.” Dr Rona adds, “Longevity is associated with the regular consumption of hard water (high in minerals). Disease and early death is more likely to be seen with the long term drinking of distilled water.”

If you read about RO water above you’ll remember the importance of a post filter. At least with RO systems these tend to be substantial 10 inch blocks that would remove 99%+ of chemicals like chlorine, but with distillers the post filters are comparable to those found in pitcher filters, adding a regular cost in replacing them and not being very effective.

In summary, distillers are not a highly effective means of cleaning water. If you are consuming distilled water long term please look into re-mineralization. Typically, distillers are found being used by practitioners formulating prescriptions such as herbal formulas and flower essences.

Water ionizers

Water ionizers perform 4 functions:

1 They first filter the water through a carbon block
2 They micro-cluster the water molecules, increasing their cellular intake 6 fold
3 They separate the water into two output streams; negatively charged alkaline for drinking; acidic for topical use and disinfection
4 They fill the alkaline output with billions of OH- ions (hydroxyl ions) that act as a powerful antioxidant capable of disarming free radicals

According the Dr Gabriel Cousins “Water ionization could be one of the most important health breakthroughs in our era”. Approved for used in Japanese, Korean & Malaysian hospitals for the treatment of cancers, diabetes, intestinal problems, liver dysfunction and other chronic diseases, water ionizers are a technology worth looking at more closely. Below we explained the main features.

The fundamental technology

Water Ionizers are considered a slight misnomer. Most water will contain dissolved ions (electrically-charged atoms or molecules) - almost all waters found in nature acquire ions such as calcium and bicarbonate as they come into contact with rocks and sediments. The key process within a water ionizer is electrolysis (always subsequent to block filtration) and so ionized water may be more rightly name electrolized water.

Within the electrolysis cell an electric current is passed through oppositely-charged electrodes (made from platinum coated on titanium due to their being un-reactive metals). Positive ions that find themselves close to the negative electrode will acquire electrons, and negative ions near the positive electrode will lose electrons. In the case of pure water, the reaction is a breakdown of H2O into H+ and OH-, producing gaseous hydrogen and oxygen before the water balances itself and becomes nothing but H20 again. However, with a mineralised water the equalization of the water produced around the negative electrode is a metal ion such as sodium, calcium or magnesium. The electrodes are surrounded by a semi-permeable barrier that inhibits diffusion of these ions into the bulk of the water, and thus two output streams of water are produced.

Molecule micro-clustering

Water molecules ‘cluster’ in water and are typically found in clusters numbering 10-13 individual H2O molecules. The ionization process produces clusters of 5 or 6 molecules. According to Dr. Hayashi, of the Japanese Water Institute, this smaller cluster size means that it gains the ability to penetrate tissue and cell walls far more easily. Better hydration has been claimed to help depression, arthritis, chronic pain, PMS, acid indigestion, ulcers and fatigue. This is why many people experience detoxification effects in the first few weeks of drinking the water, as it infiltrates areas that have not been reachable with ordinary H2O. Remember every cell in your body needs water as a transport mechanism for nutrients and energy.

High pH / Alkaline water

Our bodies function best when they are neither too acidic nor too alkaline. Unfortunately almost all of us have become acidic due to diet, drinks and stress, both psychological and pollution.

The degree of acidity or alkalinity is measured in terms of a value known as pH which ranges from 0 on the acidic side to 14 on the alkaline.

Our blood system is always working to keep itself within the narrow range of pH from 7.35 to 7.45. This is a process of homeostasis. A highly acidic blood pH level of 6.9 will induce coma and death.

In 1932, Otto Warburg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery that the body can only become diseased when in an acidic state (pH level below 7.0). This is true of all diseases from the common cold to cancer. The optimum blood pH is 7.4. At that pH the immune system is usually able to maintain a healthy body. When the body pH drops below 7.0, acid waste builds up. A modern diet can be extremely acidic - soft drinks, processed food, red meat, dairy and sugar all deposit acid waste in our bodies creating an ideal environment for various diseases to thrive. Ionized alkaline water may flush out acid wastes from our body.

To give an every day picture of pH in our bodies, imagine the effect of pouring a glass of cola into a water container holding 10 gallons (around 38 litres). Just an 8-ounce glass (250ml) of cola slashes the pH from 7.4 to 4.6 - very acidic. Your body consists of about 10 gallons of water, which is supposed to be slightly alkaline.

Negatively Charged Water

The electrical charge of ionized water is referred to as the ORP, and is measured in milli-volts (mV), the output that you are drinking always holding a negative electrical charge, thus “-mV”. Water ionizers rarely state their output ORP, yet it is the most important factor, and truest indicator of the performance of the ionization cell. Typical ORP values for water ionizers are between -200mV and -500mV, which is a very wide performance spectrum.

This negative electrical charge is essential to the health of our blood cells. Blood microscopists observe under the microscope that when our blood cells loose their electrical charge, they clump together and don’t move freely. Drinking alkaline ionized water, charged with hydroxyl ions, rapidly revives blood cells and sees them moving freely bouncing off of each other as healthy blood cells should. Living bodies are electric, and when die that electric charge is gone – after all one of the major techniques applied to revive you is to place electrodes on your body and try and start you up again like a car battery.

Supporting your hydro-electric cells!

Coming back to each of our wonderful bodily cells, the interior of each cell is actually acidic. The mitochondria - the power producer of the body, swims in a sea of acid inside the cell’s membrane. Outside however, the interstitial (between cells) fluid is saline, alkaline and mineralised. This is the fluid that transports nutrition to the cells. A cell allows glucose in after checking it with its many receptor antennae that swim in the alkaline interstitial fluid. Once inside, the mitochondria consumes it and converts it to energy - electrical energy. Here’s where the minor miracle of life repeats itself billions of times a day.

Acid is positive, alkaline is negative. This permits the cell to pass the energy as electricity from positive to negative, just like a car or household wire passes power! So it’s incredibly important for the interstitial fluid to be alkaline

Antioxidant water

Free radicals are unstable molecules with an electron missing which cause damage to our cells and DNA. Ionized water is full of oxygen molecules with an extra electron, which stabilise free radicals by donating an electron. This makes ionized water a potent antioxidant in liquid form that is easily absorbed by the body.

More about Dr Otto Warburg and cancer

Dr. Otto Warburg demonstrated the basic difference between normal cells and cancer cells. Both derive energy from glucose, but the normal cell requires oxygen to combine with the glucose (respiration), while cancer cells break down glucose without oxygen (fermentation), yielding only 1/15 the energy per glucose molecule that a normal cell produces. This is why cancer cells have such a huge appetite for sugar, and also why people who consume excessive quantities of sugar are more susceptible to cancers. Controlling cancer can be done by controlling the oxygen and/or controlling the things that free up oxygen (e.g. ionized water). Oxygen therapies are one of the most widely used cancer therapies world-wide because they provide oxygen to the cancer cells. They are safe and effective. It has been clinically demonstrated that the spread or metastasis of cancer is directly proportional to the amount of oxygen around the cancer cells. The more oxygen, the slower the cancer spreads. The less oxygen, the faster the cancer spreads. If cancer cells get enough oxygen, they will die (cancer cells are anaerobic). Ionized water provides extra oxygen atoms in the form of Hydroxyl ionz (OH-) that not only slow down the spread of cancer, but also kills cancer cells.