Is the idea that tap water and cancer are increasingly becoming related?  It appears they are.  Drinking water expert is Dr. Thomas Burke begins this video discussing the process where the slag from mills is thrown out and, which gets used for fill.  Chromium 6 is in the slag.  The stuff sits there and people walk on it or even skate on it.  The companies did not know how dangerous it is and of course neither did the public.  To make matters worse the chromium 6 is soluble and when it rains, it enters the water table.  That is why it if found in our drinking and bathing water.

Dr. Oz raises the question as to why it takes so long to fix this problem.  It is an obvious pollutant so he wonders what the holdup is to fixing the situation.  Dr. Burke explains that even though a lot is known about it, it is a tough regulatory argument.  As with everything nowadays it seems to come down to cost.  We are talking about cleaning up a billion pounds of slag spread all over an entire state.  The argument starts to waver because of that cost.  People wonder if it is harmful enough to spend the millions of dollars needed to clean it up.

However, Dr. Burke is optimistic because with the new information becoming known.  That information has shown the link between water and cancer.  Water contaminated by chromium 6 is related to intestinal cancer.  Now things seem to be moving ahead aggressively.

More water and cancer talk continues.

Dr. Oz proceeds to go through the findings of water test participant Mendy of Norman, Oklahoma.  Her tap water contained 58 parts per billion of chromium 6.  That is 1,000 times higher than the goal limit that is being proposed as the legal limit on chromium 6 in California.  We think she desperately needs a whole house water filter like our HealthyHome Solution with the  added fluoride removal system.  This system will remove or reduce fluoride, arsenic and chromium 6 thereby reducing the relation between water and cancer.  Dr. Oz asks Mendy how she feels about the chromium 6 level in her water and she is alarmed.  She says she is switching to bottled water but Dr. Oz heads her off to note that he will be talking about bottled water and its problems too.  “I’m not sure that’s the solution,” he says.

Dr. Oz also goes on to say this contaminant and some metals could be naturally occurring in the Oklahoma water.  The local water utility said the drinking water was still okay.  We are not so sure we would believe that.  Whether it is naturally occurring or not does not matter if the stuff is dangerous.  We would prefer not to risk it and to have it out of the water altogether.  We do not want to find out later it was poisoning us.  There is no worse feeling than believing one thing to find out later your source was wrong.  And especially to find they were wrong at the expense of your health.

Dr. Oz then asks Dr. Meinhardt to comment and she informs Mendy that her community leaders in Oklahoma are on top of the situation.  These leaders have a chromium 6 working group and they are talking to technical advisors.  They are actively taking the situation seriously and dealing with it as it evolves.  That is good news for Mendy and her community.  These civic leaders are in charge of protecting the public health along with the utility people.  Therefore, for now, things are moving but the story is evolving in that community.  Again, in our minds, why wait till the politicians figure it out?  We say remove the offending contaminants with a high quality water filter today.

Dr. Oz talks further about some of the other toxins that were tested for in the water samples from all over the country.  Heavy metals like lead and arsenic were next in testing.  Arsenic occurs naturally but is also found in paints, dyes, fertilizers, metals, and animal feed.  Arsenic is harmful to your skin but can also cause bladder and liver cancer.  It can also lead to partial paralysis and nerve damage.

The connection between lead, water and cancer is explored.

Dr. Burke comments that lead, which has been used in plumbing historically, can under the right conditions become mobilized.  Lead poisoning is a very real danger.  Arsenic is different because it can be a naturally occurring substance.  It is part of the earth’s crust and often found in wells in the Western United States.  Arsenic is a known carcinogen and people are working to reduce it as well as find new sources of water.  Both lead and arsenic are metals we need to be more concerned about and getting out of our water.

Next in the video, Dr. Oz talks with Ann from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  She too was one of the water test volunteers.  She had .003 points per billion of lead in her tap water.  The EPA goal is zero.  Her water is deemed safe but the EPA still wants the number to be zero.  This small amount may not re-enforce the link between water and cancer.  But even small amounts can cause worry.

Dr. Oz goes on to clarify the difference between “good enough” and “Ideal.”  He notes they are not the same thing.  You may know where you want to go but you may have to tolerate some things because they are naturally occurring.  Nevertheless, you have to see the difference in what you know is present in the water and what you are comfortable letting your kids drink.  For example, long-term exposure to lead will not be obvious in what conditions it might cause you.  It is a subtle thing.  Maybe just a little memory issues might be the first signs or damage from lead.  Maybe your blood pressure goes up a little bit over the years.  Dr. Oz relates these instances to the questions he often gets from people.  Patients may feel they are not as sharp as they once were or little things like that.  Dr. Oz starts to wonder if those conditions are caused by the long-term exposure to the contaminants like lead in our water supply.  One would have to figure it could be a factor because of our exposure to the water every day.  And we know what the contaminants can cause on their own.

The Pure Elements HealthyHome Solution water filter with an added Fluoride removal system will remove or reduce chlorine, fluoride, chromium 6 and arsenic.  Contact us for more information and break the relation between water and cancer.

Link to Dr. Oz video on water and cancer.