At GOpure, we have dedicated ourselves to studying and preventing the detrimental effects of contaminated water. The studies are quite conclusive, drinking chemically contaminated water can lead to disastrous effects. And now further research is beginning to show that if you are pregnant or expecting, the negative side effects can be considerably more disastrous, in some cases even leading to birth defects or miscarriages.
What Does The Research Say About Tap Water?
In a recent study by The Environmental Working Group (EWG), they found 22 carcinogens in what is considered to be legally “safe” tap water. This included arsenic, byproducts of water disinfectants and radionuclides such as uranium and radium. These dangerous carcinogens could cumulatively result in over 100,000 cancer cases over the span of a lifetime. The EWG vice president notes that most tap water is meeting the legal standards however, those “legal” contaminants can still have a huge effect on your long term health.
The Environmental Working Group and U.S. Public Interest Group believe that the major catalyst for negative side effects stems from the byproducts that can form when chlorine is added to our water sources. While chlorine addition can in some cases reduce harmful bacteria, it at the same time can create a new slate of harmful byproducts that are just as disastrous as the original layer.
According to the water research center, some cities are switching to ozone water treatment instead of chlorination. The good news is that Ozone treatment is more effective against bacteria and viruses compared to chlorination and it does not add any chemicals to the water. However, the process is much more expensive and more research needs to be done on the ability of the treatment process to prevent the regrowth of bacteria.
Tap Water & Expecting Mothers
We know from the research that our tap water is full of chemicals including chlorine. But what does that mean for expecting mothers? According to the EWG is means that expecting moms who drink tap water contaminated with chlorine face a higher risk of miscarriage and birth defects in their newborns.
Researchers at Princeton University also found that women who drink contaminated tap water are more likely to have babies that are premature or have low birth weight. A similar study of over 400,000 infants found a clear link between chlorination contamination and birth defects. Statistical analysis in the American Journal of Epidemiology has determined that the odds of birth defects were 1.5 times more likely in instances of contaminated water consumption.
The effects of drinking contaminated tap water are real and of high concern. One citizen of Chesapeake Virginia, Val Wilson, was pregnant three times with what should have been her family’s first child. But only once in that entire span did she make it past 12 weeks. It wasn’t until she discovered similar instances from women in her area that she began to suspect that the cause of her miscarriages may be environmental. A group of 214 women in her city of Chesapeake, Virginia has banded together to file a lawsuit against the city alleging that their water held chlorine contaminated at levels seven times the standard regulations.
It seems almost unthinkable that something as ordinary as what’s in our drinking water could have such a wide-reaching impact on the health of expecting or pregnant women. But the studies are showing that the link between water contaminated and pregnancy is real, and it is dangerous.
What Should You Do About It?
FILTER, FILTER, FILTER!
While it may seem tempting to elect for bottled water, the truth is that water is often ripe with the same contaminants, not to mention the scary environmental effects that come with the consumption of plastic products.
Instead, elect to use filtration devices, whether an at-home unit affixes to your main unit, or a portable device like the GOpure Pod, to ensure that the great majority of contaminants laying dormant in your water are purified, making your water clean, healthy and delicious.
Water contamination is real, and it is plaguing expecting and pregnant women all across the world. Science has shown us that how we hydrate has wide-reaching effects on all aspects of our biology. It is therefore critical that we treat our water makeup with respect, consideration, and intelligence to ensure that families everywhere are safe, happy, and hydrated.
