Water Purification - Safety and Controversies

Safety and Controversies

Further information: Distilled water#Health concerns

In April, 2007, the water supply of Spencer, Massachusetts became contaminated with excess sodium hydroxide (lye) when its treatment equipment malfunctioned.

Many municipalities have moved from free chlorine to chloramine as a disinfection agent. However, chloramine in some water systems, appears to be a corrosive agent. Chloramine can dissolve the "protective" film inside older service line, with the leaching of lead into residential spigots. This can result in harmful exposure to lead, with elevated blood levels of lead the outcome. Lead is a known neurotoxin.

Read more about this topic:  Water Purification

Famous quotes containing the word safety:

    Can we not teach children, even as we protect them from victimization, that for them to become victimizers constitutes the greatest peril of all, specifically the sacrifice—physical or psychological—of the well-being of other people? And that destroying the life or safety of other people, through teasing, bullying, hitting or otherwise, “putting them down,” is as destructive to themselves as to their victims.
    Lewis P. Lipsitt (20th century)