Toxic Heavy Metals

We hear a lot about the dangers of lead exposure and poisoning, but there are other metals that can cause damage to the human body. Mercury is another contaminant against which you want to protect yourself.

Mercury (Hg) is a silvery metal that is liquid under normal conditions. It forms a variety of organic and inorganic compounds, including Hg+1 and Hg+2 salts, oxides and sulfides, as well as organometallic compounds like dimethylmercury and methylmercuric chloride. You may remember playing with mercury as a child in science class or, if you broke an old-fashioned thermometer, pushing mercury droplets around and watching them join up with the others. Today, #mercury and its compounds have many commercial and industrial uses. The metal has been used in #thermometers, barometers, other scientific instruments, and as a seal in some electrical switches. Mercury vapor is used in streetlights and florescent lamps. The salts, which are poisonous, have been used as biocides. Until 1991, interior latex paints commonly contained mercuric fungicides. It is also used in dental amalgams, alloys that are formed with other metals such as gold or silver.

While mercury has many useful applications, it is poisonous and can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, or directly through the skin. It is an accumulating contaminant that can build up in the kidneys, and causes severe illness and death.

While you may be able to avoid direct inhalation or skin contact with mercury, mercury contamination is common in #water sources. The Environmental Protection Agency (#EPA) lists the major sources of mercury contamination are discharges from factories/refineries, erosion of natural deposits, and runoff from croplands and landfills.  According to Water Technology, “In the article, [Dr.] Cotruvo lists the following water treatment options for mercury: Conventional coagulation, sedimentation and filtration can remove about 80 percent of inorganic mercury and about 30 percent of organic mercury.” (emphasis added).

The entire family of Multipure Drinking Water Systems are NSF-tested and certified to reduce mercury from your drinking water source by 99%, along with other many other contaminants such as lead, radon, and PCBs. Since 1970, #Multipure has been an industry leader in the manufacture of compressed solid-carbon filters that address new and existing contaminants. Contact Water2Drink.com today and let us help you choose the best Multipure Drinking Water System for your home and family.