There's
Asbestos in
My Drinking Water?
What
do Cysts Do?
Asbestos:
Another potential carcinogen that can come
either from water with naturally occurring asbestos (such as in areas that have
a lot of serpentine rock) or from asbestos-lined water pipes. Thousands of miles
of these pipes were laid throughout the U.S. in the 1950's and have yet to be
replaced.
- Asbestos is so small that it is unfeasible to
remove it at the water treatment plant. To build such a removal facility is
prohibitively expensive and would clog up the plant within five years of
being in operation.
Cysts:
This last group includes microscopic
worms, parasites and protozoa. The biggest offenders are giardia and
cryptosporidia which cause major diarrhea, dehydration, intestinal disorders and
even death in people with compromised immune systems. Water experts estimate
that over 63% of water problems in the Unites States today are directly caused
by giardia and cryptosporidia.
- Giardia is seven to fourteen microns in size and
cryptosporidium is from three to 5 microns in size. When the environment
becomes inhospitable (like the presence of chlorine or the absence of
water), both parasites can go into the cystic form (like a hard, round
impermeable microscopic egg). The cyst form is chlorine resistant and very
hard to kill.
- Municipal utilities are unable to completely
remove these cysts. Cysts have been found in most major municipal water
systems in the U.S. Milwaukee, Wisconsin had a huge outbreak of
cryptosporidia in 1993 that killed over 100 people. San Francisco,
California has repeatedly tested positive for giardia in its chlorinated
water that traveled hundreds of miles from the Sierras.
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