{"id":8701,"date":"2023-11-09T20:31:24","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T13:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=8701"},"modified":"2023-11-09T20:31:24","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T13:31:24","slug":"tap-filtered-or-bottled-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=8701","title":{"rendered":"Tap, Filtered, or Bottled Water?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There are disinfection byproducts in tap water. What happened when Brita, PUR, ZeroWater, and refrigerator water filters were put to the test?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Though many <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23098620\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">distrust<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the safety of tap water, a study of 35 brands of bottled water did not <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/18273738\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">find<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> them to be necessarily safer, cleaner, or of a higher quality than water straight out of the faucet. How much is that saying, though? Two studies <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/19304309\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">published<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> in the 1970s \u201cchanged forever the earlier perspective that drinking water safety was only about waterborne disease.\u201d In fact, it was our fight against microbial contaminants that led to a new kind of contamination\u2014in the form of disinfection byproducts.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The two landmark papers in 1974 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/41267646\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">solved<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the mystery of the source of chloroform in drinking water: We met the enemy, and he is us. The chlorination of drinking water\u2014\u201cdisinfection [that] is crucial for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30285951\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">maintaining<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the microbiological safety of water\u201d\u2014was interacting with natural organic matter from the water\u2019s source and creating chlorinated compounds that can not only result in off-flavors and smells but also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/19304309\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">pose<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> a potential public health risk. More than 600 disinfection byproducts have been <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">identified<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> so far.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After decades of research into the matter, it appears that the life-long ingestion of chlorinated drinking water <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/12594192\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">results<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> in \u201cclear excess risk\u201d for bladder cancer. There <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/12899208\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">is<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> also some evidence of increased risk of certain types of birth defects, but most of the concern has focused on the bladder cancer link. Forty years of exposure may <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/12594192\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">increase<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> your odds of bladder cancer by 27 percent. The Environmental Protection Agency <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1002\/j.1551-8833.1999.tb08620.x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">estimated<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> that 2 to 17 percent of bladder cancer cases in the United States are due to these disinfection byproducts in drinking water. However, this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25765762\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">assumes <\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the link is one of cause and effect, which has yet to be firmly established.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The best way to reduce risk is to treat the cause. Countries could <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/12594192\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">prevent<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the formation of disinfection byproducts in the first place through the better initial removal of source water\u2019s \u201cnatural organic matter\u201d (what my grandmother would have called <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">schmutz<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">). Some countries in Europe, such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, and Germany, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.rsc.org\/en\/Content\/ArticleLanding\/2016\/EW\/C6EW00068A#!divAbstract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">have<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> newer, well-maintained drinking water systems that can distribute tap water free from residual disinfectants, but the cost to upgrade the infrastructure of even a small city in the United States could run in the tens of millions of dollars. As the tragedy in Flint, Michigan, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26863114\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">revealed<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, we seem to have trouble keeping even frank toxins out of the tap.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Nearly 40 percent of Americans <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.5942\/jawwa.2015.107.0129\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">use<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> some sort of water purification device. I look at the comparisons of these devices in my video <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/is-it-best-to-drink-tap-filtered-or-bottled-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Is It Best to Drink Tap, Filtered, or Bottled Water?<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">Tap water from Tucson, Arizona, was pitted head-to-head against two of the most common purification approaches\u2014pour-through pitchers and refrigerator filters. As you can see in the graph below and at 2:53 in my <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/is-it-best-to-drink-tap-filtered-or-bottled-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">video<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, both fridge filters (GE and Whirlpool) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.5942\/jawwa.2015.107.0129\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">did<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> similarly well, removing more than 96 percent of trace organic contaminants, and edging out the three pitcher filters. ZeroWater caught 93 percent, and PUR pitchers got 84 percent. By the time the filters needed to be replaced, Brita was only catching 50 percent. A similar discrepancy was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/16376695\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">found<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> between filters from PUR and Brita tested specifically against disinfection byproducts. They both started out about the same at the beginning, but by the end of the filter\u2019s life, PUR appeared to do better, as you can see below and at 3:15 in my <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/is-it-best-to-drink-tap-filtered-or-bottled-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">video<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Reverse osmosis systems can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.rsc.org\/en\/Content\/ArticleLanding\/2016\/EW\/C6EW00068A#!divAbstract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">work<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> even better, but the cost, water waste, and loss of trace minerals don\u2019t seem worth it. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-98373\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-53.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-53.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-53-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-53-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-53-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-53-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-53-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-53-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-53-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2-53-540x304.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-98375\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-15.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-15.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-15-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-15-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-15-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-15-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-15-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-15-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-15-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-15-540x304.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As you can see below and at 3:40 in my <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/is-it-best-to-drink-tap-filtered-or-bottled-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">video<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, the annual cost for purifying your water with a pitcher or fridge filter was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.5942\/jawwa.2015.107.0129\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">calculated<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> to be about the same, at only around a penny per cup\u2014with the exception of the ZeroWater brand, which is up to four times more expensive.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-98377\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-40-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-40-1.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-40-1-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-40-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-40-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-40-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-40-1-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-40-1-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-40-1-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-40-1-540x304.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I always figured the \u201cchange by\u201d dates on filters were just company scams to get you to buy more replacements, but I was wrong. Because I drink filtered water mostly just for taste, I used to wait until the water started tasting funky. Bad idea. Not only do the filters eventually lose some of their removal capacity, but bacterial growth can build up inside them, resulting in your \u201cfiltered\u201d water having higher bacterial counts than water straight out of the tap. You\u2019d be actually making your water dirtier rather than cleaner, so it is important to replace filters regularly.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As an aside, I used to think the same about the advice to change your toothbrush every three months. Which Big Brush executive thought that one up? But, no, I was wrong again. Toothbrushes can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/19832908\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">build<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> up biofilms of tooth decay bacteria or become breeding grounds for bacteria to flume into the air with each toilet flush before going back into our mouths. Fun fact: A single flush can spew up \u201cmillions of bacteria into the atmosphere\u201d that can settle on your nice, moist toothbrush. The good news is that rather than buying new brushes, you can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24971388\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">disinfect<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the head of your toothbrush with as little as a ten-minute soak in white vinegar or, even more frugally, vinegar <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26676193\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">diluted<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> by half with water.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hydration is important. See related videos below for more information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Avoiding waterborne pollutants if possible is also important. See my videos <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/lead-in-drinking-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Lead in Drinking Water<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/friday-favorites-benefits-of-turmeric-for-arsenic-exposure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Friday Favorites: <\/a><\/strong><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/friday-favorites-benefits-of-turmeric-for-arsenic-exposure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Benefits of Turmeric for Arsenic Exposure<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/how-many-glasses-of-water-should-we-drink-a-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">How Many Glasses of Water Should We Drink a Day?<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Watch the video to find out.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"et_social_bottom_trigger\"\/>  <\/div>\n<p><script>\n            !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n            {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n                n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n            if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n            n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n            t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n            s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n                'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n            fbq('init', '1582627921973608');\n            fbq('track', 'PageView');\n        <\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are disinfection byproducts in tap water. What happened when Brita, PUR, ZeroWater, and refrigerator water filters were put to the test?\u00a0 Though many distrust the safety of tap water, a study of 35 brands of bottled water did not find them to be necessarily safer, cleaner, or of a higher quality than water straight &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}