Many water companies have started treating public water supplies with Chloramines, which is a combination of Chlorine and small amounts of Ammonia. This combination creates three known varieties of chemicals: monochloramine, dichloramine, and trichloramine. The chloramines can easily be filtered with your average carbon or charcoal filter.

However, there is a much larger health risk caused by this chemical combination that, without the proper filtration, could cause the body to absorb lead.  Chloramines have been found to eat away at lead. This lead is contained in solder which was/is used to connect water pipes (especially in homes), as well as actual service lines, and these deposits end up in the water supply. 

The health effects of Chloramines are linked to kidney damage, miscarriages, nervous system damage, anemia, high blood pressure, brain damage, and reproductive difficulties. Plus, chloramines leach copper into public water supplies. An long-term exposure to copper can cause liver damage, kidney damage, headaches, stomach problems and dizziness, among other things.

The best way to combat both chloramines and potential lead and copper contamination is with a granular activated or other carbon-based filter. Make sure that you are purchasing a filter or portable water filter that is more advanced than your traditional carbon filter. These Advanced Portable Water Filters not only filter chlorine and chloramines, but they contain chemicals that are also effective in reducing the amount of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and copper in the water.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 28th, 2006 at 1:07 pm and is filed under Drinking Water, Filtered Water, Portable Water Filter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.