Shower Filter
Getting a shower filter for our house has been on my mind for quite some time, so this week I sat down to research it. Interesting, interesting, interesting.
Water is, to me, one of the more complicated areas for "avoiding toxins." Staying hydrated by drinking water is so important and staying clean is a good thing, but there are some very real and serious concerns about the water supply in our country.
I spend a lot of time thinking about the potential toxicity of what we put on our skins, it's why I am a consultant for Ava Anderson Non Toxic. Therefore, it seemed important to think about what my skin is absorbing from the water in my shower, especially as I know my pores open up in the hot water.
Here's what I learned. Shower water filtration systems are primarily designed to eliminate chlorine from water. Many water treatment plants use chlorine. In showers, the hot water causes the chlorine to turn into chloroform and dissipate in your shower and through your house. So, not only is your skin absorbing it, but you are also absorbing it in your lungs.
There is controversy (big surprise) about the dangers of chlorine with opinions ranging from it being safe, to it causing skin and lung irritation, to it causing cancer.
If your water supply includes chlorine, a shower filter can be an easy, effective way of ridding your shower and your house of this potential toxin. Shower filters run in the $50-$75 price range and the replacement filters are about $25 and need to be replaced annually. Of course, there are also far more expensive options available. This article lists reasons to use a shower filter.
You can look up what is in your water at your local water company's website. The EPA also publishes reports on the quality of drinking water here. The Environmental Working Group, which is awesome and usually my first go to source, publishes a water database, but it is in the process of being updated, so, for now, your best bet is one of these other two sources.
For my local Chapel Hill friends, and I'm sure many others, it is more complicated. Except for the month of March, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority uses Chloramine, which is less tested than Chlorine and more difficult to remove. I will continue to provide updates on this.
Getting a shower filter for our house has been on my mind for quite some time, so this week I sat down to research it. Interesting, interesting, interesting.
Water is, to me, one of the more complicated areas for "avoiding toxins." Staying hydrated by drinking water is so important and staying clean is a good thing, but there are some very real and serious concerns about the water supply in our country.
I spend a lot of time thinking about the potential toxicity of what we put on our skins, it's why I am a consultant for Ava Anderson Non Toxic. Therefore, it seemed important to think about what my skin is absorbing from the water in my shower, especially as I know my pores open up in the hot water.
Here's what I learned. Shower water filtration systems are primarily designed to eliminate chlorine from water. Many water treatment plants use chlorine. In showers, the hot water causes the chlorine to turn into chloroform and dissipate in your shower and through your house. So, not only is your skin absorbing it, but you are also absorbing it in your lungs.
There is controversy (big surprise) about the dangers of chlorine with opinions ranging from it being safe, to it causing skin and lung irritation, to it causing cancer.
If your water supply includes chlorine, a shower filter can be an easy, effective way of ridding your shower and your house of this potential toxin. Shower filters run in the $50-$75 price range and the replacement filters are about $25 and need to be replaced annually. Of course, there are also far more expensive options available. This article lists reasons to use a shower filter.
You can look up what is in your water at your local water company's website. The EPA also publishes reports on the quality of drinking water here. The Environmental Working Group, which is awesome and usually my first go to source, publishes a water database, but it is in the process of being updated, so, for now, your best bet is one of these other two sources.
For my local Chapel Hill friends, and I'm sure many others, it is more complicated. Except for the month of March, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority uses Chloramine, which is less tested than Chlorine and more difficult to remove. I will continue to provide updates on this.
