Why You Need a Water Purifier to Remove Mercury

Did you know the government says you can’t eat fish high in mercury, but lets you drink the water that fills these fish with mercury in the first place? That’s crazy! Lake Michigan contains mercury from coal-fired power plants lining its shore, and this lake supplies most of Chicagoland’s drinking water. Mercury ingestion can cause liver failure and neurological disorders. Yet, the EPA’s standards still haven’t been updated since the 70s. Protect your health by removing the mercury with a water purifier from Angel Water.

Keep the Mercury Out of Your Body with a Water Purifier

You may remember over the years how people have freaked out over mercury in salmon

and other fish—but did you know that there’s probably mercury in the water you drink every day? Mercury is an extremely harmful element that’s present in large amounts in Lake Michigan, which supplies drinking water to the Chicago area. Learn more about where this mercury comes from, how bad it is, and why you need a water purifier to get rid of it.

Infographic showing the dangers of Mercury in drinking water from coal fire power plants.

Where’s Mercury Come From?

The biggest source of mercury is coal-fired power plants. Every year, plants like these emit almost 50 tons of mercury into the air. Two thirds of the mercury circulating in the environment came from human activities, and because mercury doesn’t ever degrade, the man made sources of mercury keep contributing to an ever-growing amount present in the environment.

Other man made sources of mercury, such as chlorine manufacturing plants and hospitals with medical waste incinerators and hazardous waste combustors, have been regulated or entered agreements with the EPA, but coal-fired power plants remain largely unregulated.

Worse yet, five of these plants are located on Lake Michigan, which supplies most of the Chicago area with our drinking water. Mercury produced in these plants first enters water in settling ponds, before being transferred to the lake. The result: mercury in our drinking water.

How Unsafe Is It?

Image of Mercury SymbolMercury exposure has a range of different health hazards. Ingestion can cause kidney failure, as well as neurological disorders with symptoms including memory loss, tremors, insomnia, headaches, and muscular, cognitive, and motor dysfunction. Workers exposed to mercury in even microscopic amounts over several years report signs of central nervous system toxicity.

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Fish who live in water with a lot of mercury in it collect that mercury, and it gets stored in their bodies. This is why the government has declared an advisory on many kinds of fish in Lake Michigan, telling us to limit consumption of some species of fish and avoid others entirely because their meat contains toxic levels of mercury.

That may lead you to wonder, “If I’m drinking that same water, is mercury building up in my body as well?” Yet, because the safety standards for mercury were set in the 70s, and the research into long-term low-concentration exposure is sparse, and the EPA is being defunded and dismantled before our eyes, the government likely isn’t going to say anything about it anytime soon.

So, you can’t eat the fish because their bodies have collected mercury from the water, but you can drink the mercury-filled water yourself—crazy, right? Do you take their word that it’s safe?

Why a Water Purifier?

For the reasons we stated above, the government isn’t going to be regulating mercury out

Plumber installs a water purifier
Plumber installs a water filter. water filter.

of our drinking water anytime soon. That’s why we need to take matters into our own hands and protect our own health and that of our families.

The number one way to get mercury out of your water is with a water purifier. A PurAsure reverse osmosis system from Angel Water removes heavy metals like mercury and lead, as well as all the other chemicals coming from those lakeside manufacturing plants, like volatile organic compounds, arsenic, chromium-6 and more.

This type of water purifier will filter out that mercury, so that you can rest easy knowing that the water you and your kids are drinking is clean and safe. If you’re ready to get the mercury out with a water purifier in Barrington, IL or the greater Chicagoland area, give us a call today at (847) 382-7800. Our technicians have years of hands-on experience, and our water purifiers are some of the best on the market, so you can count on us to keep your water clean, and your family safe.

Interested in a Water Softener System for Your Home?

You don’t have to live with a dry, itchy scalp and brittle hair anymore! It would be our pleasure to help you find the right water softener to make your showers enjoyable again.

Please give us a call at (847) 382-7800 or visit our water softener page to learn more.

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