Did
you know?
Reverse osmosis is the finest water filtration method known. This process will
allow the removal of particles as small as ions from a solution. It is used
to purify water and remove salts and other impurities in order to improve the
color, taste or properties of the fluid. R.O. uses a membrane that is semi-permeable,
allowing the fluid that is being purified to pass through it, while rejecting
other ions and contaminants from passing. This technology uses a process
known as crossflow to allow the r.o. membrane to continually clean itself. This
is the reason of why an r.o. element can last many years before clogging or
need replacement. This
water purification process requires a driving force to push the fluid through
the membrane, and the most common force is household water pressure or pressure
from a booster pump. The higher the pressure, the larger the driving force and
efficiency.
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How
mosquitoes affect the quality of your water.
How do mosquitoes
affect your water? One word...pesticides. With the goal of eradicating
mosquitoes near crop harvesting areas, pesticides aimed specifically at
mosquitoes have ballooned out of proportion.
Pesticide
use in the agricultural industry began in earnest in the early 1940s.
Although pesticide use had been quite popular for more than twenty years,
government officials first became aware of the potential danger of pesticide
runoff to humans in the early 1960s when Rachel Carson's famous and influential
Silent Spring was published.
Though this
book warned mainly of the detrimental effects of DDT (a popular insecticide
developed in the early 1940s) for birds and other non-human victims, Carson's
work inspired health officials to speculate about the effects of pesticide
runoff on humans. Recently, exposure to DDT was linked to Parkinson's
disease. Because of concern over DDT's adverse effects on the environment
and on people, this pesticide was banned in 1972. Despite the ban of DDT,
pesticide use continues, and the effects of some modern insecticides and
herbicides can be just as debilitating.
Even through
careful use, runoff from pesticides continues to makes its way into drinking
water sources.
What follows
is a brief list of some of the more popular pesticides and their adverse
health effects when ingested:
- Alachlor:
Alachlor is an herbicide that has been used to control mainly grassy
weeds in corn, soybean, and peanut crops since 1969. Intake of Alachlor
can lead to eye, liver, kidney or spleen problems, anemia, and increased
risk of cancer (Gustafson, 1993).
- Atrazine:
Atrazine has been widely used as an herbicide on sorghum and field corn
for several decades. When ingested, Atrazine can lead to cardiovascular
and/or reproductive problems.
- Endothall:
Endothall has been used since 1995 as an herbicide on sugar beets, spinach,
and potatoes. Intake of Endothall can cause stomach and intestinal problems.
- Lindane:
Lindane is an insecticide currently used on cattle, lumber, and gardens.
Ingestion of Lindane can cause liver or kidney problems.
- Methoxychlor:
Methoxychlor is a widely used insecticide for fruits, vegetables, and
livestock. Intake of Methoxychlor can lead to reproductive difficulties.
The EPA lists
maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for the presence of each of these pesticides
in drinking water. Unfortunately, these MCLs are not zero, and even a
small amount of ingested pesticide runoff can have detrimental effects
on the body.
Healthy and Convenient!
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