12 Most Dangerous Toxins in Drinking Water Hiding in Your Tap

Water quality has recently been a major subject of public concern, highlighted by severe events like residents of Flint, Michigan suffering from toxic levels of lead in their water due to incompetent governance. Unfortunately, this water quality issue is not a recent development. Decades of industrial dumping, agricultural pesticide runoff, leaky storage tanks, and even government mandates have created enormous problems for public water supplies. Let’s take a look at some of the nastiest water contaminants that may be pouring out of your faucet, ensuring you understand the true scope of the water quality problem in areas like water quality in Michigan and nationwide.

1. Fluoride

Adding fluoride to drinking water began in the 1940s to reduce tooth decay. However, fluoride is classified as a neurotoxin and an endocrine disruptor. It can harm the thyroid gland and calcify the pineal gland. Its toxicity is severe enough that several countries have banned water fluoridation, and some U.S. cities have started rejecting the process [1].

2. Chlorine

Chlorine is a chemical disinfectant used in cleaning products, swimming pools, and even to sanitize sewage. It is added to public drinking water as a primary purification technique, despite concerns regarding its complete safety [2]. Chlorine is highly reactive; it bonds with water, including the water in your gut, to produce poisonous hydrochloric acid. Exposure can cause respiratory problems and cell damage, while long-term effects may include memory loss and impaired balance [3][4].

3. Lead

Lead is the main toxin at the heart of the Flint crisis, where corroded pipes are releasing up to ten times the allowable amount into the water. Lead is toxic to almost every organ and disproportionately affects children. Exposure can result in developmental issues, stunted growth, deafness, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and permanent brain damage [5]. Ingesting lead during pregnancy can cause premature birth [6], and long-term exposure has been linked to autism, prostate cancer, and reproductive problems for both men and women [7]. It is also damaging to the cardiovascular system and kidneys [8].

4. Mercury

Though mercury is a naturally occurring element, its presence in water is extremely toxic. It is a byproduct of mining and industrial practices, with mercury vapor capable of traveling globally via the atmosphere [9]. Health risks from mercury exposure include brain damage, blindness, nerve damage, cognitive disability, motor function impairment, headaches, weakness, tremors, and severe memory loss.

5. PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls)

PCBs are industrial chemicals historically used in insulation, machinery oil, paints, and electronics. Although banned in the U.S. in 1979, they persist in landfills and slowly infiltrate the environment, having been found in snow and seawater thousands of miles from their origin [10]. Animal tests show PCBs cause cancer and negatively affect the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems [11].

6. Arsenic

Arsenic is a known poison used in numerous industrial processes. Environmental contamination results from improper waste disposal or poorly planned wells hitting natural deposits [12]. Acute arsenic poisoning can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and death in severe cases. Chronic, long-term exposure is linked to skin, lung, and bladder cancer, and is famously the cause of “blackfoot disease” (a type of gangrene) in Taiwan [12].

7. Perchlorate

Perchlorates are key components in rocket fuel and explosives. They dissolve easily, seeping into groundwater from military and industrial sites, and are believed to have contaminated large portions of the Colorado River [13]. This is a severe issue, as almost all humans will test positive for perchlorates, which are known to attack the thyroid gland.

8. Dioxins

Dioxins are released during combustion processes such as the burning of hazardous waste, forest fires, cigarette smoke, and oil and coal. They settle into the environment and destroy water sources [14]. Short-term exposure can cause lesions and respiratory problems, while long-term exposure can negatively affect the immune, nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified dioxins as carcinogenic. For developing fetuses, dioxin poisoning can tragically result in birth defects or stillbirth [15].

9. DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl Trichloroethane)

DDT was widely used as an insecticide from the 1940s to combat insect-borne diseases and served as a major agricultural pesticide until it was banned in the United States in 1972 due to its severe environmental impact [16]. Though banned here, it remains in use in other parts of the world. DDT molecules are persistent, breaking down slowly, and can travel vast distances in the atmosphere, making them a global health concern [17]. Animal testing has linked DDT to reproductive problems and liver damage, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer considers it a cancer risk [18].

10. HCB (Hexachlorobenzene)

HCB was used as a pesticide until 1965. While production has been banned, it is still formed today as a byproduct during the creation of other chemicals. A large dose of HCB can be fatal, and smaller doses can cause liver disease and skin lesions. The EPA has classified HCB as a probable human carcinogen [19]. A tragic poisoning incident in Anatolia, Turkey, in the late 1950s affected over 4500 people who consumed tainted grain, resulting in over 500 deaths. Follow-up studies decades later found that breast milk from women in the area still contained up to 150 times the allowable HCB amount for cow’s milk [20].

11. Dacthal (DCPA)

Dacthal (dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, or DCPA) is an herbicide that contaminates soil and water sources. Unlike HCB and DDT, Dacthal is still in use today. Animal tests have found that Dacthal damages the adrenal glands, kidneys, liver, thyroid, and spleen [21][22].

12. MTBE (Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether)

MtBE is a gasoline additive that poses a major threat to groundwater quality, capable of rendering large quantities completely undrinkable. The city of Santa Monica, CA, discovered this issue in 1996, forcing it to shut down 50% of its water supply and pay for replacement water [23]. While the full health effects of MtBE are still being studied, animal tests have linked it to kidney damage, seizures, and problems with fetal development [24].

Final Thoughts on Water Safety and Further Concerns

It’s important to clear up a common misconception: boiling water kills harmful organisms but does nothing to remove toxic chemicals, compounds, salts, and heavy metals. In fact, boiling can actually concentrate these non-organic contaminants, making them more dangerous.

Please remember that the preceding list is by no means a complete list of all the toxins that might be in drinking water. It is crucial to keep informed of water quality issues in your area. If poor-quality tap water is a problem for you, we recommend investing in a quality water filter system or using distilled water in glass bottles.

Do you have any water quality horror stories? Please leave a comment below and share your experience with us.

References (23)

  1. “Are You Fluoridated? – Kelly Brogan MD.” 2015. 8 Mar. 2016.
  2. “Toxicological Profile for Chlorophenols.” ATSDR’s Toxicological Profiles Web Version (2002): n. pag. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  3. Facts about Chlorine.” CDC. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  4. O’Malley, Gerald F., DO. “Chlorine Toxicity.” : Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology.Medscape, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  5. Cecil, Kim M., Christopher J. Brubaker, Caleb M. Adler, Kim N. Dietrich, Mekibib Altaye, John C. Egelhoff, Stephanie Wessel, Ilayaraja Elangovan, Richard Hornung, Kelly Jarvis, and Bruce P. Lanphear. “Decreased Brain Volume in Adults with Childhood Lead Exposure.” PLoS Medicine. Public Library of Science, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  6. “Learn about Lead.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  7. “Relationship between chronic lead toxicity and plasma neurotransmitters in autistic patients from Saudi Arabia.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  8. Telisman, Spomenka, Bozo Colak, Alicia Pizent, Jasna Jurasovic, and Petar Cvitkovic. Lead Toxicity May Be Associated with Reproductive Toxicity and Prostate Cancer Initiation in Men.” GreenMedinfo, 16 June 2007. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  9. “Basic Information about Mercury.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  10. “Learn about Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)” EPA.gov. EPA, 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  11. “Health Effects of PCBs.” EPA.gov. EPA, 13 Jun. 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  12. “Arsenic.” World Health Organization, Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  13. “Technical Fact Sheet – Perchlorate.” EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency (n.d.): n. pag. EPA.gov. Environmental Protection Agency, Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  14. “Learn about Dioxin.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 10 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  15. “Dioxins and Their Effects on Human Health.” World Health Organization. World Health Organization, June 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
  16. “DDT – A Brief History and Status.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 5 Nov. 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
  17. “DDT.” Eco-USA. Eco-USA, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
  18. “IARC Monographs Evaluate DDT, Lindane, and 2,4-D.” International Agency for Research on Cancer (n.d.): n. pag. IARC. World Health Organization, 23 June 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
  19. “Hexachlorobenzene.” United States Environmental Protection Agency, Jan. 2000. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
  20. “Issues: Health. Healthy Milk, Healthy Baby: Chemical Pollution and Mother’s Milk: Hexachlorobenzene.” NRDC. National Resources Defense Council, 22 May 2001. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
  21. Us Epa, Office Of Water (Ow). “Summary from the Health Advisory (HA) for Dacthal and Dacthal Degradates (Tetrachloroterephthalic Acid and Monomethyl Tetrachloroterephthalic Acid).” Summary from the Health Advisory for Dacthal and Dacthal Degradates (Tetrachloroterephthalic Acid (n.d.): n. pag. EPA.gov. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
  22. Cox, By Caroline. “DCPA (Dacthal).” Journal of Pesticide Reform 11.3 (1991): 17-20. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
  23. “Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE): Drinking Water.” EPA.gov. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
  24. “MTBE: What Is MTBE?” Cancer.org. American Cancer Society, 17 July 2014. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.

Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Whole House Water Filtration does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Global Healing Center are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.

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