Drinking water crisis may not have reached the doorsteps of many developed countries but it will not be too long before the rich also start feeling the pinch. This is because of various global factors including global warming and climatic changes. All these coupled with increasing population pressure are putting immense pressure on the demand for pure and safe drinking water. Hence, it would be naïve to believe that big cities and towns situated in the so-called rich countries will stay insulated from it. A solution for this has to be found and there is a need to understand the growing importance of water filters even in places where the quality of water so far has been good. When the water table goes down it also leads to a build of up various contaminants. Lead is one such contaminant which could have devastating consequences on our health if it is not identified and removed. Let us try and find out the various reasons as to why a good lead filter is important when it comes to potable water in our homes, offices and commercial places.
How Much Lead In Drinking Water Is Good
As per EPA standards, the level of lead in drinking water should be zero. This is because lead is a highly toxic metal and it can cause harm to human health even if the exposure levels are low. Lead absorption can happen continuously and persistently and it can also get bio-accumulated in our body over a period of time.
How Does It Impact Children And Infants
Infants, unborn fetuses and young children are at the highest risk as far as lead poisoning through water is concerned. This underscores the importance of having a quality water filter with the best of lead filtering capabilities. Even ingestion of very low levels of lead by children and youngsters could have a negative impact on the peripheral and central nervous systems. It could impair their learning abilities, and also result in stunted growth. It also could negatively impact hearing capabilities and the formation and functioning of blood cells could also be disturbed badly.
Impact On Pregnant Women
Lead gets accumulated in our bodies over time. It gets stored in the body along with other minerals like calcium and magnesium. When a mother is pregnant, lead is released from the bones along with calcium. Calcium, as we all know, is important for the formation of bone formation of the fetus. This is all the truer if a woman does not get enough dietary calcium. The body then starts drawing calcium from the bones and along with it lead also gets ingested in the unborn fetus. This could damage the brain and nervous functions of the unborn child and also stunts its growth quite a bit.
How It Could Impact Adults
Lead is also considered to be quite harmful to adults. Too much exposure to lead poisoning through water could lead to kidney damage and impaired kidney functioning. It also could lead to cardiovascular problems including hypertension and increased levels of blood pressure. It also could hamper the reproductive functions of both men and women.
Therefore, it is quite obvious that there are a number of reasons for installing a lead-filter and choosing a water purification system is the best way forward.