Links to Drinking Water Articles
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Standard non-targeted sampling methods regularly detect potentially dangerous levels of contaminants in drinking water (e.g., http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/business/energy environment/08water.html
http://www.ewg.org/tap-water/whatsinyourwater/MD/City-of-Rockville/0150003/). However, these are almost certainly not measuring the highest levels that will be found from the same sources at different times. There are certain phenomena, including weather conditions (especially rainfall), water treatment regimens, land-use changes, local geology, and application times for agricultural and other chemicals, that will greatly influence which contaminants are most likely to appear in higher concentrations at a given time. Existing amenities, whether standard municipal or other scheduled monitoring routines, or home-based water sampling services (self-collected or otherwise), do not account for specific conditions that may lead to temporary surges in pollutant concentrations. Many contaminants will appear within water in ‘pulses’, ‘plumes’, or flushes’ rather than at a steady background level. Others may be detected regularly at very low concentrations, but spike significantly in response to external conditions. Random sampling of drinking water, whether from a water source, distribution point, or directly from a tap or other outlet will not capture most pollutants at their peak levels. In some cases, as with lead, even a single small exposure can adversely affect the brain and other organs. [“In children, virtually no organ system is immune to the effects of lead poisoning. Perhaps the organ of most concern is the developing brain. Any disorganizing influence that affects an individual at a critical time in development is likely to have long-lasting effects. Such is the effect of lead on the developing brain. Effects on the brain appear to continue into the teenaged years and beyond. The literature suggests that significant insult to the brain of children occurs at very low levels and that medical intervention with chelation fails to reverse such effects.” (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1174752-overview)] The Oxadia sampling system is especially designed to capture these difficult-to-detect peaks.
http://www.ewg.org/tap-water/whatsinyourwater/MD/City-of-Rockville/0150003/). However, these are almost certainly not measuring the highest levels that will be found from the same sources at different times. There are certain phenomena, including weather conditions (especially rainfall), water treatment regimens, land-use changes, local geology, and application times for agricultural and other chemicals, that will greatly influence which contaminants are most likely to appear in higher concentrations at a given time. Existing amenities, whether standard municipal or other scheduled monitoring routines, or home-based water sampling services (self-collected or otherwise), do not account for specific conditions that may lead to temporary surges in pollutant concentrations. Many contaminants will appear within water in ‘pulses’, ‘plumes’, or flushes’ rather than at a steady background level. Others may be detected regularly at very low concentrations, but spike significantly in response to external conditions. Random sampling of drinking water, whether from a water source, distribution point, or directly from a tap or other outlet will not capture most pollutants at their peak levels. In some cases, as with lead, even a single small exposure can adversely affect the brain and other organs. [“In children, virtually no organ system is immune to the effects of lead poisoning. Perhaps the organ of most concern is the developing brain. Any disorganizing influence that affects an individual at a critical time in development is likely to have long-lasting effects. Such is the effect of lead on the developing brain. Effects on the brain appear to continue into the teenaged years and beyond. The literature suggests that significant insult to the brain of children occurs at very low levels and that medical intervention with chelation fails to reverse such effects.” (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1174752-overview)] The Oxadia sampling system is especially designed to capture these difficult-to-detect peaks.
Here are just a few published articles about potentially unsafe drinking water in the U.S.
Lead in Drinking Water:
1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/06/28/more-than-5000-u-s-water-systems-violated-lead-testing-rules-last-year/
2. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/us/regulatory-gaps-leave-unsafe-lead-levels-in-water-nationwide.html?_r=0
3. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/01/mother-exposed-flint-lead-contamination-water-crisis
4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/schools-around-the-country-find-lead-in-water-with-no-easy-answers/2016/07/03/b44240fe-37c3-11e6-a254-2b336e293a3c_story.html
5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/01/06/this-louisiana-town-has-a-serious-problem-with-lead-in-its-water-it-wont-be-the-only-one-this-year/?utm_term=.6e8328f1c9b3
Other Contaminants:
1. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/us/17water.html
2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/08/09/researchers-find-unsafe-levels-of-industrial-chemicals-in-drinking-water-of-6-million-americans/?utm_term=.f7e5dfe7aa84
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/us/23water.html
4. http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/20/health/chromium-6-in-drinking-water/index.html utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29
5. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/us/13water.html
6. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tap-drinking-water-contaminants-pollutants/
7. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/us/23sewer.html
8. https://www.yahoo.com/news/erin-brockovich-chemical-found-more-220137921.html
9. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/18/us/18dairy.html
1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/06/28/more-than-5000-u-s-water-systems-violated-lead-testing-rules-last-year/
2. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/us/regulatory-gaps-leave-unsafe-lead-levels-in-water-nationwide.html?_r=0
3. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/01/mother-exposed-flint-lead-contamination-water-crisis
4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/schools-around-the-country-find-lead-in-water-with-no-easy-answers/2016/07/03/b44240fe-37c3-11e6-a254-2b336e293a3c_story.html
5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/01/06/this-louisiana-town-has-a-serious-problem-with-lead-in-its-water-it-wont-be-the-only-one-this-year/?utm_term=.6e8328f1c9b3
Other Contaminants:
1. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/us/17water.html
2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/08/09/researchers-find-unsafe-levels-of-industrial-chemicals-in-drinking-water-of-6-million-americans/?utm_term=.f7e5dfe7aa84
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/us/23water.html
4. http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/20/health/chromium-6-in-drinking-water/index.html utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29
5. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/us/13water.html
6. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tap-drinking-water-contaminants-pollutants/
7. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/us/23sewer.html
8. https://www.yahoo.com/news/erin-brockovich-chemical-found-more-220137921.html
9. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/18/us/18dairy.html