Heavy Metal Toxicity in Your Home’s H2O and How to Fight Back

• How heavy metals could be contaminating your home’s drinking water
• The serious dangers of these unseen threats
• How Angel Water can help you ensure your family has access to water that’s clean, free of toxins, and great-tasting

The water that flows from your taps is the lifeblood of your home. While you may have confidence in its healthiness, a silent threat could be lurking within: heavy metals.

These naturally occurring elements, when present in excessive amounts, can pose significant health risks, especially for vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.

As one of the oldest water filtration companies in the nation, we know how quality issues and lax standards can negatively impact unsuspecting families. Heavy metal toxicity in household drinking water is a critical yet often overlooked problem all around the country. Let’s dive into common poisons in our water supply and explore how you can protect those most precious to you.

Understanding the Menace of Heavy Metals

Heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, manganese, chromium, cobalt, and cadmium are organic elements with a high atomic weight and density that are naturally found in the earth’s crust. However, modern-day activities like mining, industrial manufacturing, and improper waste disposal can release these metals into the environment, which can leach into our water sources and create a cluster of serious health conditions related to heavy metal toxicity.

In urban areas like Chicagoland, this problem is exacerbated by plumbing supply lines made of lead. In fact, tap water samples from the government’s own EPA building in downtown Chicago recently tested positive for Legionella bacteria as well as unhealthy amounts of lead and copper.

Across southeast Florida, dozens of schools in the Palm Beach County area were built before the government banned the use of lead in water pipes in 1986, and neither the EPA nor the state requires water testing in schools. There is no safe level of lead in drinking water.

While some metals, like zinc, magnesium, and copper, are essential in small quantities for human health, many others are poisonous, even at trace levels.

Toxic heavy metals and chemicals can infiltrate your family’s water supply through:

• Corroding pipes: Old and overstressed infrastructure and lead or copper pipes can leach metals into the water supply.
• Industrial runoff: Factories and mining operations frequently release byproducts that seep into groundwater.
• Unsafe agricultural practices: Many fertilizers and pesticides contain arsenic and other harmful substances.
• Natural deposits: Heavy metals present in soil and rock can dissolve into aquifers over time.

While some contaminants may cause noticeable changes in water taste, color, or odor, cloudy or discolored water, or blue or rust-hued stains on your fixtures, many heavy metals that cause toxicity symptoms and chronic health problems are odorless and tasteless, making them particularly dangerous for your vulnerable family members.

The Health Impacts of Heavy Metal Toxicity

Heavy metal toxicity caused by exposure to arsenic, lead, nickel, and cadmium through contaminated drinking water can lead to a range of long-term physical issues, from acute symptoms to chronic conditions, as they accumulate in the soft tissues of the body. Kids are particularly at risk due to their developmental process and higher water consumption relative to their body weight.

Even small amounts of lead can impair cognitive function in small children, lower IQ, and cause hearing and behavioral problems. For adults, lead exposure increases the chances of permanent kidney damage, nervous system impairment, and hypertension. These effects can be worse for elderly or immunocompromised individuals.

Chronic arsenic exposure is linked to skin disorders, stomach pain, partial paralysis, brain damage, certain types of cancer, serious cardiovascular issues, and even death. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for arsenic in drinking water at only 10 parts per billion (ppb). Boiling water does not remove arsenic or heavy metals.

Common symptoms from heavy metal toxicity include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Muscle aches or spasms
• Severe headaches
• Confusion
• Hyperkeratosis (hardened patches of skin)
• Abdominal cramping
• Lethargy
• Chest pains
• Miscarriage

The danger extends beyond simply drinking contaminated liquid. Heavy metals can enter our bodies through multiple pathways: food prepared with contaminated tap or well water, steam from hot showers, absorption through the skin during bathing, and even ice cubes made from unfiltered water can cause heavy metal toxicity.

This multifaceted exposure risk makes protective water treatment especially crucial for families with young children. If you or one of your loved ones are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it’s vital to see a physician and get your water tested as soon as possible.

What You Can Do to Take Control of Your Family’s Health

Protecting your family starts with understanding exactly what’s in your water. Professional testing can reveal current heavy metal levels, the pH balance, and overall quality while identifying potential contamination sources and other health risks.

Many homeowners are surprised to learn that municipal water testing doesn’t guarantee safety at the tap. While treatment plants monitor water quality, contamination can occur within distribution systems, home appliances, or your home’s plumbing. For those homes with private wells, owners have the primary responsibility to test their water for potential contaminants. Wells need testing more often than city water because contaminants can change throughout the year.