Healthy Water for Healthy Skin

Save money, Energy and reduce use of damaging chemicals

2009-12-19T11:35:44+00:00

How to save money, save energy, reduce household running costs

. ( and enjoy the luxury of beautifully soft water at the same time)

Installing a Micro-Soft water softener in your home now will reduce your water heating bills, cut drastically the amount of detergents and damaging cleaning chemicals that you use, while at the same time you are softening your water the hard water scale already built up on surfaces and hidden within your plumbing and heating systems will methodically be dissolve by the soft water leaving them scale free to let you have the full benefits of softened water

Better Water Solutions have been supplying and installing water softeners for over 25 years, and during that time have built up a wealth of knowledge about water softeners and drinking water filters, and the effects of uk water hardness in the family home.

We know what water softeners to use and what to avoid, we know what water softeners work best and give many, many years of good service, the ones that are most economical on salt and water, and the ones that we know that will have a spare parts availability, also for many years to come.

Softener prices are of course always an issue, and we have we know that there are many softeners that are available in the price range of £450 - £1000, all (apparently) doing the same job, so there really is the possibility of not paying enough or paying too much.

The Better Water Solutions range of water softeners have been carefully chosen and tested over many years for their effectiveness and all have built in reliability of the "original" Permutit brand of water softeners so have over 60 years of continuous research and production behind them, Fleck, the company that made the control systems for Permutit still make for the Better Water Solutions, Micro-Soft range of water softeners.

Gender Bender

2009-06-21T17:02:00+01:00

Paul Joseph Watson

Prison Planet.com

Monday, March 2, 2009

Concerns about global warming will ensure that chemical poisons which have changed the gender of around one third of fish, as well as making them infertile, will remain in the British water supply.

In another example of how the manufactured problem of global warming is actually preventing real environmental crises from being addressed, water supplies will continue to be poisoned by substances which have also been linked to human infertility as sperm counts continue to drop.

Female hormones from contraceptive pills and HRT are making their way into the water supply at record levels, causing alarming “gender-bending” effects in male fish which cause them to produce eggs and make them infertile. Oestrogen-like compounds are also being released into the water supply through industrial waste, creating a toxic soup that literally feminizes every species of fish studied so far.

The chemicals are also found in food packaging, cleaning products, and plastics. Dozens of species besides fish, such as polar bears, bald eagles, otters and whales have also been affected and the problem is global.

(ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW)

In a shocking new development, additional chemicals known as Antiandrogens have also been found recently. Antiandrogens are capable of preventing or inhibiting the biologic effects of androgens, male sex hormones, on normally responsive tissues in the body. Antiandrogens are given to transsexual men who want to become women and they are also given to sex offenders released from prison to reduce their sexual libido. These substances have the effect of counteracting masculinisation and effectively diminishing normal male biological characteristics associated with the release of testosterone.

In waterways that are located close to sewage treatment facilities, a staggering 80 per cent of male fish were found to have female characteristics as a result of such chemicals.

Fears that pollution of the water supply is also creating infertility in men is supported by the alarming fact that male sperm counts have dropped by more than a third since 1989.

“There is certainly the potential for it to have an effect in humans - and possibly a marked effect,” said Professor Charles Tyler of Exeter University, one of the country’s leading authorities on the effects of oestrogen.

It is also feared that bird populations could be devastated in the long run from chemicals being passed from infected fish when birds eat the fish. Veteran fishermen are already noticing a severe decline in fish populations across the country.

Calls for sewage treatment facilities to filter out the harmful chemicals have increased since a UK Environment Agency study confirmed the gender-bending effect the substances were having on fish.

However, as was highlighted in a BBC Countryfile segment yesterday, concerns about the “carbon footprint” of filtering machines means that the poisons will remain in the vast majority of the British water supply.

A pilot scheme to screen out the chemicals run by Severn Trent Water at Hallam Fields in Derbyshire has been successful, but according to John Churchly of Severn Trent Water, the UK Environment Agency will only mandate such filtering at “a few sites on the river system”.

“This won’t be at every site, certainly,” said Churchly, before explaining that the “additional carbon footprint” that the filtering machines produce was one of the main reasons why the system would not be installed at every site.

So the choice has largely been made, chemical poisons that feminize fish and increase infertility, and are widely suspected to have the same impact on humans, placing under threat the entire fishing industry and the very reproductive future of humanity, will remain in the British water supply because the government cannot allow the machines that filter them out to be installed due to the “carbon footprint” that they create.

The government is dragging its feet on getting these poisons out of the water supply, yet is all too willing to fast-track putting poisons like fluoride in the water supply, as was again proven recently in Southampton where, despite an overwhelming public opposition, plans to introduce sodium fluoride to the water supply were approved - after the government passed legislation to ensure that water companies would not be sued for the illegal activity of mass-medicating the population against their will.

In Southampton, the local health authority carried out a “consultation” with the local public and asked whether they supported plans to add fluoride to the water supply. 78 per cent said no, but the authorities went ahead and approved the measures anyway.

As Philip Johnston writes in the Telegraph, “If artificial fluoride is safe, what do the water companies need to be indemnified against? Furthermore, the law was changed to prevent the water companies thwarting the wishes of local people; yet it is now being used to do the precise opposite. This is democracy EU style: you can give any answer so long as it’s yes.”

The first occurrence of fluoridated drinking water on Earth was found in Germany’s Nazi prison camps. The Nazis had little concern about fluoride’s supposed effect on children’s teeth; their alleged reason for mass-medicating water with sodium fluoride was to sterilize humans, lower IQ’s, and force the people in their concentration camps into calm submission.

The government is doing everything in its power to add fluoride to water supplies nationwide, despite public opposition and clear research connecting the compound to teeth, bone and brain disorders, cancer, as well as IQ reduction.

Meanwhile, authorities are doing nothing in their power to filter out harmful chemicals that are already in the water supply that threaten the stability of the food chain and human reproductive health.

Discarded Cosmetics "Threat to Drinking Water"

2009-06-16T16:58:00+01:00

Discarded cosmetics 'threat to drinking water'

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor

Drinking water in Britain is under threat from drugs and cosmetics being flushed down the drains in millions of households, chemists have warned.

New contaminants have entered the water system after use by the population in recent years, such as drugs used to treat epilepsy, depression and cancer, it is claimed.

Along with human sewage contaminated with medicines and their by-products, there are rising levels of cosmetic products such as shower gels and musk perfumes, according to a report by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

tBut the experts say water treatment waste works are unable to remove all of these types of chemicals, so currently some contaminants remain in the water sources.

Although at trace levels can only now be analysed with modern techniques, there are concerns about substances such as drugs, with data already suggesting that urine contaminated by the female contraceptive pill is affecting fish, for example.

The report called Sustainable Water: Chemical Science Priorities, which will be launched at the Royal Society of Chemistry at Burlington House in London, calls for greater research into the effects of these contaminants.

Dr Jeff Hardy, Environment and Energy Manager of the society, said many medicines that pass through the body are being seen in the environment.

"There are substances like antidepressants, painkillers, beta blockers, anticancer drugs and antibiotics. Many are designed so they do not degrade in the human body so that they can fulfil their function. It seems they are not degrading once they get into the environment."

"There are several key questions that chemists, and other scientists, are working hard on answering. How are contaminants broken down? What are the products of that breakdown? What are the properties of these breakdown products? The basic chemistry of these reactions needs to be understood to minimise risks to human and environmental health."

But he stresses "the outlook is positive" and that there is a great opportunity for green product design.

"If we have a complete understanding of the environmental fate of contaminants then it is possible to design chemicals and products that are highly effective in their use, and at end of life, are reusable and/or recyclable or degrade quickly in the environment to products with minimal risk to human and environmental health."

Dr Hardy added: "Whilst many people might not be interested in what happens to their nice smelling shower gel after it has disappeared down the drain, chemists and employees of the water industry most certainly are. The chemical sciences will play a vital role in progressing us towards sustainable water management.

"This report tackles all of the big issues and makes 57 recommendations to those with the authority to act upon them. This represents an important first step in an RSC campaign and over the coming months and years will be will working very hard to bring these recommendations to reality."

Chlorine and Swimming Pools

2009-06-13T16:57:00+01:00

I read this very interesting article recently about Chlorine and swimming pools that thinly disguises the serious health effects of Chlorine, and expertly shifts the emphasis to the actual swimmers.

Any one who deals with Chlorine at any level will tell you that the smell is very much Chlorine, but because it is so volatile it chemically reacts with other substances to for a “cocktail” of unstable, unpredictable Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) all with unknown health and safety issues.

In fact the same reaction occurs in your household water supplies, so you bathe in it wash in it and even drink it! Try filling a glass with water straight from the tap first thing in the morning and give it a good sniff, just like wine tasters do, and you may be unpleasantly surprised.

So it is very important indeed for absolutely every one to have a thorough shower at the pool side (not just at home) before swimming, and also again immediately after to remove Chlorine and VOC’s from your body. There’s probably not very much you can do about breathing in the Chlorine gas given off from the pool, so wherever possible choose a salt water pool that has a very low level of Chlorine in it.

Article

When you walk into the area of an indoor pool, the first thing that likely hits you is the smell of what most of us think is chlorine. But it might surprise you to learn that what's in the air actually has a lot to do with what we bring into the water with us.

And whether it's taking swimming lesson's or doing laps, you're not only immersed in the water, but you likely drink a little, and breath in the air above.

Still, at many indoor pools, people take a dip without rinsing off, which means they bring with them all the lotions, hair sprays, and make up from the day. But the even greater violators are sweat and urine, which like it or not, end up in our swimming pools as well.

"That's why the chlorine is there," said Hoogstraten.

But how does the chlorine actually react? That question brought News channel 3 to Purdue University in Indiana, where researchers are looking at not just what's in the water, but what's in the air.

"You really aren't smelling chlorine, you are smelling some of these by-products," said Purdue Professor of Environmental Engineering, Ernest Blatchley.That's because volatile compounds form when chlorine mixes with the human substances that end up in pool water. Right now, Professor Blatchley says the environmental engineers at Purdue are studying samples from all sorts of sources, looking at levels of sweat and urine.

"They range from lap swimming pools at health clubs, pools at day care facilities, pools at high schools, and also indoor water parks, splash parks," said Professor Blatchley.

The goal is to improve the water and air in indoor swimming areas, in order to protect the health of swimmers.

"Some evidence to suggest in fact there is a link between use of indoor swimming pools and asthma, especially in children," said Prof. Blatchley. "We're interested in other adverse toxilogical effects in humans. What we really are interested in is how to prevent them."

The next study will go beyond sweat and urine, and target skin and hair care products, looking for signs of what happens indoors when people take the plunge.

"They should take it seriously because what they bring into the pool inadvertently will react with the chlorine present in the pool," said Prof. Blatchley. "So they are effecting themselves as well as other people using the pool."

Researchers want to remind swimmers that when they walk into a pool area, it's not chlorine they smell, but the by-products of the chlorine combing with other substances. It's not a sign that the pool is really clean.

Chlorine on Chichen Meat

2009-06-11T16:55:00+01:00

Associated Press

EU agency recommends change in chicken meat rules

Associated Press 05.28.08, 5:00 PM ET

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission on Wednesday recommended that European Union nations allow the sale of poultry meat that has been treated with chemicals to clean it of bacteria.

The change of rules - proposed primarily to accommodate the import of chlorine-treated U.S. chicken, which has been banned since 1997 - needs unanimous support by food security experts from the EU's 27 member states.

But approval is far from certain since France is fiercely opposed to chemical treatment of chicken meat, and several countries have expressed doubts about the need to change the rules. In the EU, poultry is cleaned without the help of chemicals.

The draft guidelines would allow EU farmers to treat it with a chlorine solution, on condition the meat is rinsed with water afterward and is clearly labelled as decontaminated by chemicals. They also would allow the sale of U.S. chicken on the EU market after an 11-year ban on health and food security grounds.

"This is a proposal that puts everybody on the same competitive footing," said European Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger.

The proposal was immediately denounced by a key European Parliament committee, which said chlorination of chicken intended for human consumption should not be acceptable within the EU.

Lifting the ban would be "outrageous and unacceptable, and would degrade EU citizens to guinea pigs," said British lawmaker John Bowis of the assembly's environmental committee.

Greenpeace said the European Commission has "buckled up under U.S. pressure and surrendered the EU's high standards on food hygiene."

COPA-COGECA, Europe's biggest farming lobby, also condemned the proposal. It said hygiene measures applied in chicken production in Europe are sufficient and do not need to be enhanced by chemicals.

The chicken ban has long been a sticking point in EU-U.S. trade relations, and Americans have pushed hard for it to be scrapped. Earlier this month, EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said a new scientific opinion did not support the ban.

The EU measures have cost American producers an estimated $180 million a year in lost sales.

Beauty Products and Cleaners in Water

2009-06-04T16:36:50+01:00

Beauty products and household Cleaners

More and more pressure is put onto your local water company to continue giving you clean healthy water and they are losing the battle.

According to a new report from the Royal Society of Chemistry, ingredients from beauty products and other everyday household items such as medicines are contaminating UK water supplies even after being processed at water treatment plants.

The organisation called for more research into the problem and for Government and the industry to place greater emphasis on the future quality of water to protect human and environmental health.

A team of nearly 30 scientists found that contaminants are entering the water system through excretion of medicines and by-products and the use of personal health care products - releasing chemicals that UK water treatment waste works are not designed to remove.

The publication of the report is the first step in a campaign to make water supplies more sustainable in the face of massive population growth, climate change and man-made pollution.

Dr Jeff Hardy, environment and energy manager at the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: "If we have a complete understanding of the environmental fate of contaminants then it is possible to design chemicals and products that are highly effective in their use, and at end of life, are reusable, recyclable or degrade quickly in the environment with minimal risk to human and environmental health."

He added: "While many people might not be interested in what happens to their nice smelling shower gel after it has disappeared down the drain, chemists and employees of the water industry most certainly are.

"The chemical sciences will play a vital role in progressing us towards sustainable water management."

The report contained 57 recommendations for Government, the water industry and environmental bodies.

This includes making research into water contaminants a priority, promoting the development of new disinfection processes, and developing better technology to detect contaminants.

Feeling Thirsty? Drink water not tea.

2008-09-14T15:22:43+01:00

Feeling Thirsty, Drink Water Not Tea

Author: Anna Stenning |

Many people in the mornings do not know that drinking a glass of water first thing will help flush out all the toxins that your body was processing the night before. This is also a kick-start to your day, waking you up, giving you energy and hydrating your body. Unbelievably, because you dehydrate the whole night when sleeping, your body will feel weaker and it would take much more effort to begin your day promptly.

Very often people mistake their thirst for hunger and increase their food consumption considerably. Others prefer to drink bottled water or use water filters to drink water from believing that the water system will harm them. The bottom line is whatever the means; one must consistently hydrate themselves in order to continue on with their day. Drinking caffeinated beverages such as tea or coffee is not necessarily the way forward for hydration or for keeping warm. This only dehydrates us more.

Our body is made up of 80 percent water. Our blood is approximately of eighty-three percent water, so when we are only slightly dehydrated our blood is thicker and our body finds it harder to circulate blood around our body. As a result we feel more tired, suffer from headaches and dizziness, your brain finds it harder to concentrate and you just feel lazy.

Water is readily available in the UK so there is no worry over gathering water to survive upon. Drinking tap water is much safer than they perhaps were in the past; however, many people install water filters in order to safeguard them from the chemicals used to keep the water bacteria and pathogen free. The minimum requirement for drinking water is eight large glasses a day, this can be difficult to follow if you are not at home all the time.

Most people are not at home at all times, so when at work you can take a bottle of water or buy portable water filters to drink from your works tap water system. These make for a cheaper alternative to buying bottled water all the time. However, for those who forget and want to change their lifestyle by incorporating more water in their system may benefit in using a timer to remind them of when to go for a drink of water.

Those who drink more water are less likely to fall ill. It is proven that drinking more water flushes out all of the bacteria and toxins in your systems, especially in your throat and lungs. Your immune system is better protected when it your body is hydrated. Furthermore, you are also more likely to lose weight. Fatty acid cells tend to be more rubbery when you are dehydrated, therefore making it harder to burn off when you exercise.

In addition, drinking more water regularly will help suppress the appetite more, as you are less likely to over eat or snack in between meals. This will also help in keeping your skin clear and glowing, which is a great thing for people looking to find the secret to youthful looking skin. Water is no big secret and it is your ticket to a younger looking body.

You can find out more about the benefits of drinking filtered water at www.betterwatersolutions.co.uk

More about drinking water toxins.

2008-06-07T09:55:31+01:00

Trihalomethanes are a by-product of chlorine used to disinfect the water. They occur when Chlorine* the chemical used to kill bacteria and other harmful microorganisms, reacts with organic material in the water, such as decomposed particles to form unpredictable and unsafe compounds.
Scientific studies suggest that the contaminants “aren’t an immediate health threat” but it does build up in the body over time, and as we all drink water and bathe in it every day, we are continually exposed to the risk. Trihalomethanes in the body are a chronic problem and generally goes undiagnosed as the source of illness and even when it is diagnosed it can take months or even years to treat.

"It’s really a balancing act with chlorine because it’s a great disinfectant; you can’t completely take it out because then you’d have a problem with other contaminants growing in the water," One suggestion on THM's reduction is to add more chemicals to our drinking water, by mixing “Ammonia” with Chlorine to stop the chlorine from interacting with the organic material.

Since Chlorine has to be added to the water supply, (if only to protect the pipes) leading from the water treatment plants to outlet taps, there will always be an health issue, so fitting a POU (point of use) filtration or purification unit prior to the drinking water tap is a very valuable addition to the home, office or any where drinking water is drawn from. With the right choice a wide range of pollutions and toxins can be removed or reduced to such low levels as to be insignificant.

Since the early 1980’s scientists have known that the presence of free residual Chlorine in water is a primary cause of the development of Atherosclerosis, it causes fats to form as cholesterol deposits known as plaque and it is plaque that clogs arteries resulting in heart attacks and strokes.
Further scientific studies show that Chlorine destroys vitamin E an essential antioxidant, the lack of this vitamin impedes heart muscle function, weakens capillary walls and constricts blood vessels, thereby elevating blood pressure and increasing the risk of heart disease, there are also many studies that link Chlorine with cancer and heart failure.

It is fair to say until the water authorities are willing to use safer methods to keep disease out or our water pipes it will become the responsibility of the concerned householder to remove Chlorine from drinking water at the point of use, the kitchen tap, through filtration or other safe methods, there may also be a case for removing is prior to bathing or showering in it. Activated Carbon filters can be used to remove Chlorine and its by-products, if you choose to use such a filter it is essential to follow the manufacturers instruction.

*Chlorine a life saver and a powerful poison
Since the beginning of the 1890’s Chlorine has been used as a very powerful disinfectant to control various diseases and has been added to water supplies to control such diseases as Cholera, Dysentery, typhoid fever, it will also kill human beings!
Although Chlorine has proven to be a tremendously important element in controlling water borne diseases it has also been shown to be an health hazard in its own right, and should not be aloud to come into contact with the skin, should not be breathed in nor should it be drunk even in the small amounts that can be found in our household drinking water.

Chlorine and birth defects

2008-06-05T19:09:04+01:00

Our Drinking Water: It’s so toxic that it can cause birth defects

05 June 2008

Our drinking water has become so toxic that pregnant women who drink it could give birth to a child with serious defects. A new study has discovered that the water supplied to one in six homes in the UK is so heavily chlorinated that it doubles the risk.

Expectant women who drink the water, swim in it, take a bath or shower in it, or even stand close to a boiling kettle, could double their chances of giving birth to a baby with heart problems, a cleft palate or major brain defects.

Chlorine contains chemicals called Trihalomethanes, or THMs, and these increase the risk of holes in the heart, cleft palate and anencephalus, where parts of the brain, skull and scalp fail to fully develop.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham estimate that one in six households in Britain – around 4 million homes – could be supplied with water with dangerously high levels of chlorine.

The latest study is just one of many that have alerted water authorities to the dangers of over-chlorination, but so far none has reduced the levels.

(Source: Environmental Health, 2008; 7: 23).

Drink water for your health

2008-05-29T20:16:14+01:00

Is Water The Real Fountain Of Youth

By: Gregg Hall

It is widely known now that water is a needed nutrient for our bodies; indeed over 70% of our bodies are made up of water. But many people do not realize that there are many common maladies such as headaches, high blood pressure, arthritis, asthma, and fatigue that can be prevented or treated just by having proper hydration to maintain optimum fluid levels in the body. The best way to prevent‚ treat‚ and in many cases cure illness is to give our body the right tools and let it go to work. With the proper intake of healthy water‚ the right minerals and nutrients‚ our body can overcome almost anything.

Recent studies have confirmed that an increased intake of water and the proper immune enhancing nutrients‚ combined with a little patience and common sense are by far the best defence against most infections. Allowing our body to overcome minor infections with fever‚ fluids and rest increases our natural resistance and makes us less susceptible to these intruders in the future. Truly the best offense is a good "defence."

Pain medications and analgesic medicines also work in contrast to the way our body heals itself. In a very informative book called "Your Body‘s Many Cries For Water" (very highly recommended)‚ studies by medical experts explain how most of the pain sensations we experience are the result of moderate or acute dehydration.

One of the most common causes of headaches is lack of proper hydration. Because our brains are over 75% water, when a shortage of water is detected the brain releases histamines, which cause pain and fatigue. Taking pain medications and antihistamines only masks the true problem. In most cases, simply drinking a couple of cups of water and relaxing for 20 minutes will stop the pain.

Sometimes even back pain can be caused by a lack of fluids. Our spinal discs which are filled with fluid act as shock absorbers in our spinal column and when they are not hydrated properly they deflate and provide less of a cushion and place the load on the shell of the disk instead of on the fluid like it should. Another thing that affects the fluid level in disks in the lack of movement, just by moving your head around and moving your upper body around while sitting at a desk can help alleviate this and allow the discs to remain hydrated.

Another area that is surprising to many is high blood pressure or hypertension, which in many cases can be caused by a lower blood volume from dehydration. Our blood is well over 80% water and is therefore very susceptible to changes in hydration. When the body detects a loss of blood volume‚ it closes off less active capillary beds in order to maintain proper blood flow to the more active areas. These vessel closings cause a rise in tension inside the muscle mass, which we‘ve come to know as "hypertension." More water allows proper blood volumes and less tension.

If you have any of these conditions try drinking more water, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The Facts About Chlorine (an every day poison)

2008-05-25T11:04:22+01:00

What follows is an edited report released by the New York Department of Health, and should be made public to as many people as possible to help them to become more aware of the dangers and health issues of Chlorine.

Millions of people find it natural to be hit with an (almost) overwhelming stench of Chlorine when entering a swimming pool and take it for granted that their eyes are going to sting (Chlorine burn) and that nostrils and throat will be cause by contact with chlorine and that they will leave the pool smelling heavily of the chemical, yet would never (for example) add the same concentration of Chlorine, or household bleach to the bath water of their children, knowing instinctively that it would be dangerous!

Yet they let the same children use a Chlorine infected pool, not being fully aware of the dangers.

Always look for salt water and ozone pools for a healthier swim.

The report is important and valid, whatever part of the world you live in.

The report starts here.

Note to reader: This fact sheet is intended to provide general awareness and education on a specific chemical agent. For information on preparedness and response (e.g., for first responders and emergency medical personnel), please refer to the following Department resources:

Chemical Terrorism Preparedness and Response Card (PDF, 45KB, 7pg.)

Chemical Terrorism Wall Chart (PDF, 97KB, 1pg.)

What is chlorine?

Chlorine (Cl2) is among the ten highest volume chemicals manufactured in the United States. It is produced commercially by electrolysis of sodium chloride brine. Chlorine is used in industry and in household cleaning products. Chlorine was also the first poison gas to be used as a weapon during World War I.

Some of the chemical/physical properties of chlorine include:

Chlorine is a yellow-green gas at room temperature.

Chlorine has a pungent; irritating odour similar to bleach that is detectable at low concentrations.

The density of chlorine gas is approximately 2.5 times greater than air, which will cause it to initially remain near the ground in areas with little air movement.

Chlorine is not flammable, but may react explosively or form explosive compounds with many common substances (including acetylene, ether, turpentine, ammonia, natural gas, hydrogen, and finely divided metals).

Chlorine is slightly water soluble, and reacts with moisture to form hypochlorous acid (HClO) and hydrochloric acid (HCl).

Chlorine is commonly pressurised and cooled for storage and shipment as an amber-coloured liquid.

How is chlorine used?

Chlorine has a variety of uses. It is used to disinfect water and is part of the sanitation process for sewage and industrial waste. During the production of paper and cloth, chlorine is used as a bleaching agent. It is also used in cleaning products, including household bleach which is chlorine dissolved in water. Chlorine is used in the preparation of chlorides, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, polymers, synthetic rubbers, and refrigerants.

How can people be exposed to chlorine?

Given the ubiquity and volume of chlorine in industrial and commercial locations, widespread exposures could occur from an accidental spill or release, or from a deliberate terrorist attack.

Because chlorine is a gas at room temperature, exposure occurs via inhalation. People may also be exposed to chlorine through skin or eye contact, or through ingestion of chlorine-contaminated food or water.

What is chlorine’s mechanism of action?

The health effects of chlorine are primarily due to its corrosive properties. The strong oxidising effects of chlorine cause hydrogen to split from water in moist tissue, resulting in the release of nascent oxygen and hydrogen chloride, which produce corrosive tissue damage. The oxidation of chlorine may also form hypochlorous acid, which will penetrate cells and react with cytoplasmic proteins to destroy cell structure.

What are the immediate health effects of chlorine exposure?

The health effects resulting from most chlorine exposures begin within seconds to minutes. The severity of the signs and symptoms caused by chlorine will vary according to amount, route and duration of exposure.

Inhalation: Most chlorine exposures occur via inhalation. Low-level exposures to chlorine in air will cause eye/skin/airway irritation, sore throat and cough. Chlorine's odour provides adequate early warning of its presence, but also causes olfactory fatigue or adaptation, reducing awareness of one's prolonged exposure at low concentrations. At higher levels of exposure, signs and symptoms may progress to chest tightness, wheezing, dyspnea, and bronchospasm. Severe exposures may result in noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, which may be delayed for several hours.

Ingestion: Since chlorine is a gas at room temperature, it is unlikely that a severe exposure will result from ingestion. However, ingestion of chlorine dissolved in water (e.g., sodium hypochlorite or household bleach) will cause corrosive tissue damage of the gastrointestinal tract.

Eye/Dermal Contact: Low level exposures to chlorine gas will cause eye and skin irritation. Higher exposures may result in severe chemical burns or ulcerations. Exposure to compressed liquid chlorine may cause frostbite of the skin and eyes.

Children may receive a larger dose than adults exposed to environments with the same levels of chlorine gas because they have greater lung surface area-to-body weight ratios and increased minute volumes-to-weight ratios. In addition, they may be exposed to higher levels than adults in the same location because of their shorter height and the higher levels of chlorine gas that may be found nearer the ground.

How is chlorine poisoning treated?

There is no antidote for chlorine poisoning. If contact with liquid chlorine occurs, immediate decontamination of skin and eyes with copious amounts of water is important. This should be done cautiously for patients whose exposure has resulted in frostbite. Chemical burns, which result from chlorine exposure, should be treated as thermal burns.

Inhalational chlorine poisoning is treated with supportive care and can include administration of humidified oxygen, bronchodilators and airway management. Pulmonary edema may be delayed and, therefore, patients should be monitored for up to 24 hours following severe inhalation exposures. It is important to maintain ventilation and oxygenation, monitor arterial blood gases and/or pulse oximetry, and consider positive airway pressure as a treatment option. Most people recover following exposure to chlorine gas.

Swimming in VOC's

2008-04-30T09:51:25+01:00

I read this very interesting article this morning about Chlorine and swimming pools that thinly disguises the serious health effects of Chlorine, and expertly shifts the emphasis to the actual swimmers.

Any one who deals with Chlorine at any level will tell you that the smell is very much Chlorine, but because it is so volatile it chemically reacts with other substances to form a “cocktail” of unstable, unpredictable Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) all with unknown health and safety issues.

Article
When you walk into the area of an indoor pool, the first thing that likely hits you is the smell of what most of us think is chlorine. But it might surprise you to learn that what's in the air actually has a lot to do with what we bring into the water with us.

And whether it's taking swimming lesson's or doing laps, you're not only immersed in the water, but you likely drink a little, and breath in the air above.

Lurinda Hoogstraten's two daughters visit the Gable swimming pool on WMU's Kalamazoo campus every week. According to state law, they're required shower before jumping in.” They know that's the rules of the pool, that's what they do," said Hoogstraten.
Still, at many indoor pools, people take a dip without rinsing off, which means they bring with them all the lotions, hair sprays, and make up from the day. But the even greater violators are sweat and urine, which like it or not, end up in our swimming pools as well.
"That's why the chlorine is there," said Hoogstraten.

But how does the chlorine actually react? That question brought News channel 3 to Purdue University in Indiana, where researchers are looking at not just what's in the water, but what's in the air.

"They range from lap swimming pools at health clubs, pools at day care facilities, pools at high schools, and also indoor water parks, splash parks," said Professor Blatchley.
The goal is to improve the water and air in indoor swimming areas, in order to protect the health of swimmers.

The next study will go beyond sweat and urine, and target skin and hair care products, looking for signs of what happens indoors when people take the plunge.

How safe is your water?

2008-04-15T07:40:39+01:00

How pure is your water?

Water when it falls from the sky is as pure as it gets, so why is pollution such a problem, and why do our water authorities need to work so hard to give us safe drinking water?

If the natural order of life is for us to drink naturally pure water to maintain our health and flush toxins from our bodies whilst at the same time carrying nutrients into our cells, why is it that certain “safe” permitted levels of agricultural and industrial pollution are allowed in our drinking water?
It’s simple really if you can’t reach your goals move the goal post!
So by setting a level at which the water companies could manage seemed a good compromise, but as with all of these “safe” levels it is more about profits than it is about our health.

Water companies simply cannot keep pace with continual onslaught of the chemical and agricultural invasion of our water course and rivers, during the early 1960,s when artificial fertilizers and Pesticides became more widely and easily available it was recognised that the ground was becoming sodden with pollution and the general view at that time was it was dangerous and potentially lethal, and if continued at the (then) current rate it would percolate down through the ground to the lower water courses and aquifers there by contaminating our drinking water supplies. At that time a suggested period of thirty years was “guessed” at before that would actually be a serious problem, so instead of doing anything about it, the amount of agricultural fertiliser pollution was increased between 1960 and 2000 by a staggering 450%

The department for environment, food and rural affairs (defra) states, “ Nitrate levels in many English waters, both ground and surface waters, either remain high or are increasing. Nitrate pollution is of concern because it has to be removed before water can be supplied to consumers, and it can harm the water environment. Over 60% of nitrate enters water from agricultural land” and that is just one of the many hazardous poisons invading our drinking water systems!

No one knows the accumulative effect of the individual myriad of agricultural chemicals on the human body or the environment, but what about the totally unknown “cocktail” effect when all of these chemicals are allowed to mix and form more dangerous and untested toxins, there can be no safe permissible levels allowed, but in the name of profit it will continue.

One known result is that your system becomes over burdened with a new range of toxic substances that it cannot naturally deal with, as well as unbalancing the minerals in your body, upsetting your metabolism, it also diminishes your vitality and creates new excretory problems.

So if agricultural (and industrial) pollution are left in our water supplies at “safe” levels with unknown long-term effects what can the concerned consumer do about it?
The very least that you can do is to run your cold tap for two minutes every morning before drinking from it, as this helps to clear contaminants from your domestic pipework that has dissolved and accumulated over night, (although this will have limited effect on Chlorine) then fill a jug (or jugs) and let it stand for an hour to allow chlorine to vaporise from it and then store in your refrigerator, using it in rotation over a 24 hr period.

You can also use a jug filter if you don’t mind the inconvenience of filling it at regular intervals and then waiting for it to filter every time it runs out, they are low capacity and still take up room in your fridge.

You can also choose to buy bottled water for drinking purpose helping to fuel the fantastic growth in sales over the past decade, proving how concerned million of people in the UK have become about the safety of our drinking water and how little they trust the word of the regulating authorities about safety, but that of course bring a whole new set of problems!

A proper “plumbed in” drinking water filter greatly improves the taste and quality of your existing tap water supply and are very reasonably priced, giving you a continuous supply of great tasting drinking water on tap and just when you want it 24/7 and with no inconvenience.

Campaign against bottled water

2008-02-21T02:12:06+00:00

Here we go again! Another gullible journalist sucked into the debate about bottled water, he obviously was stuck for a newsworthy story. See his article below; it’s part fact part fiction and part blatant propaganda.

My stance on the bottled water debate is that all plastic bottle whether for water or any other beverage, along with all non-recyclable plastic should be banned, but of course it won’t be because there is too much money involved and the government have no appetite for taking on the might of the petrochemical industry, they’re much too soft for that. So if you were the government and you wanted to make “noises” about Carbon Footprint and the environment who would you attack? An easier target that’s for sure and that target would be the poor old man in the street, they already know that it will have little effect, but at least they would have been seen to make an effort.
Look at the first paragraph.

“Expert say that not only is it over-priced, but its cost to the environment is astronomical”

What are the experts in? Why do we not get shown the evidence instead of the “woolly” term expert? I bet as you read this you are an expert on whether or not a bottle of water is overpriced or whether or not 10 billion plastic bottles going to land fill is right!
One thing that I do know is that if there are 13 billion plastic bottles of water sold annually there are probably 30.000.000 people who know that they prefer it, and remember we are just talking plastic bottles here and there is a lot of water bottled in glass!
What about Jacqui Lowdon’s woolly comment “But the quantities of calcium or magnesium (cal-mag) are tiny. Depending on where you live, you can often glean more calcium from tap water”

The key words here are depending on where you live (it’s 1.15 am as I write this and I’m laughing) and can often glean so that must mean that some places totally lack cal-mag but we don’t know where and in other areas there is unspecified amounts of cal-mag but we cannot always glean it from the water.
Beware the Red Herring excessive levels of sodium as scare mongering. Let’s suppose that you drank the recommended 2 litres of water a day (do you?) and that water contained 150mg a litre that would be 300mg wouldn’t it? Now compare the following: 1 litre of milk 500mg – canned soup 4500mg – 2 slices of white bread 540mg 1 slice of fried bacon 1800 – 100 grammes corn flakes 1200mg

Myth: It tastes better.
I’m an expert and in most cases it does taste better, but plastic bottles should still be banned.

The Decanter Wine Magazine test.
Blind taste by experts (that word again) but what were they experts in, wine, water, publishing? It doesn’t say, how many were there? Did they choose water from across the range or were they “selective”?
In defence of Ian Halls comment from the Natural Mineral Water Association (a real expert) “Bottled water has also improved the health of the nation by giving a convenient alternative to fizzy, sugary drinks” I think that he is probably right, but a bit exaggerated.

Any way, enough of my “rant” continue reading and see what you think, but take it with a pinch of salt, or perhaps not!

ARTICLE.

Experts argue that not only is it over-priced, but its cost to the environment is astronomical. Yesterday, London Mayor Ken Livingstone launched a campaign to urge people to ask for humble tap water in restaurants, cafes and pubs instead. And given the improved quality of tap water, why do we still spend £2billion a year on the bottled stuff?
Here we explode the most common myths about bottled water.

Myth: Bottled water is higher in nutrients
Truth: Nutritionally, bottled water is no better for you than tap water, according to a study at the University of Geneva. "Yes, some bottled waters contain minerals," says dietician Jacqui Lowdon, from the British Dietetic Association. "But the quantities of calcium or magnesium are tiny. Depending on where you live, you can often glean more calcium from tap water." Not only that but some brands, both still and sparkling, contain excessive levels of sodium - high levels of which are linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

Myth: It tastes better
Truth: In a blind taste test for Decanter wine magazine, experts were asked to rate 20 different bottles of water. Nobody spotted that one was tap water - one taster even picked it as his favourite. Some mineral-rich bottled water can taste salty and heavier than tap water, but in most studies people can't tell the difference. "If tap water does have an aftertaste, it's often from the chlorine that's added by law," explains Lowdon. "Refrigerating water overnight removes this."

Still not convinced? Use a filter jug such as those made by Brita (£18.95 from Boots). But change the filter monthly, as they can be a breeding ground for bacteria. You can also buy filters to fit on to your tap from hardware stores. Filters remove 99 per cent of chlorine, trace heavy metals such as lead, and a bacteria called cryptosporidium, which in rare cases could cause tummy bugs.

Myth: It makes you prettier/ slimmer/sportier
Truth: There are a growing number of "functional" waters, which have had nutrients artificially added in order to make health claims - detox or weight loss for instance. "These expensive waters are unlikely to improve our skin or help us lose weight - all the additions to water are usually just marketing ploys," says Lowdon. "The amount of vitamins added is tiny. You're better off getting them from five daily servings of fruit and veg, and calcium from dairy products." Many of these enhanced waters also contain sugar and artificial flavourings and may have as many calories as conventional soft drinks.

Myth: It is safer
Truth: Both tap and bottled water are rigorously tested - though tap is tested more often. Even Richard Laming, of the Bottled Water Information Office, says: "Tap water is safe and perfectly healthy." Some people fear that fluoride (added to tap water in the West Midlands and North East of England) may cause osteoporosis and cancer, but there's no hard evidence of this. Yet plastic bottles can attract bacteria, especially if reused. Some experts fear that oestrogen-mimicking chemicals linked to breast and bladder cancer, found in some plastic bottles, may get into the water. But if you've got toxic lead pipes, get them changed. See the Drinking Water Inspectorate's free leaflet, Lead In Drinking Water - Have You Got Lead Pipes? (from www.dwi.gov.uk).

Myth: It is more natural
Truth: Unlike tap water, "natural mineral" water can claim to be chlorine and chemical-free, but much bottled water comes from the same sources as local tap water. Lowdon says: "Even if it has been filtered through volcanic rock it doesn't mean it's better for your health - it's still only water!"
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?

NO Environment minister Phil Woolas says: "It is absurd to use up our resources to manufacture a bottle, fill it with water from somewhere else and use more energy to transport it hundreds of miles - only for the bottle to be sent to landfill or recycled (using yet more energy) - when the alternative is to turn on the tap.
"It's welcome news that some of the bottled water companies are encouraging recycling, but we already have water at the end of a pipe, which doesn't have nearly as big an effect on the environment."

YES Ian Hall, water expert and ex-chairman of the Natural Mineral Water Association, says:
"Tap water is safe but, unlike bottled water, it has chlorine added to it and, in some areas, other chemicals like fluoride, which not everyone wants. Bottled water has also improved the health of the nation by giving a convenient alternative to fizzy, sugary drinks. "And when it comes to the environment, the water utilities' carbon footprint is estimated at 1.9 million tonnes of car bon dioxide equivalent per year. A lot of water is wasted through leaks and burst pipes. Shouldn't the government address that?"

5 GREEN REASONS TO SWITCH TO TAP WATER

IT takes seven litres of water to make a single one-litre plastic bottle.
THE £2 that would buy you one bottle of water would pay for 10,000 litres of tap water.
WE buy 13 billion plastic bottles of water a year and only recycle three billion - 10 billion are thrown away.
A LITRE of a leading brand of French mineral water generates up to 600 times more carbon dioxide (CO2) than a litre of Thames tap water, thanks to the packaging, transportation and waste disposal.
TRANSPORTING bottled water in the UK produces 33,200 tons of CO2 emissions - equivalent to the energy consumption of 6,000 homes.

13.000.000 Bottles of water

2008-02-19T10:07:47+00:00

I thought that I would like to share this article from the Daily Mail on comments made by the Environment Minister.

Sorry it's a long post!

We've all been there, thinking about whether to ask for tap water in a restaurant: "Will the waiter refuse me? Will he accept, but grudgingly, with a raised, slightly superior, ego-bruising eyebrow?"

Worse perhaps: "Will the person I'm with think I'm being tight fisted, willing to sacrifice quality just to save some money?"

We Brits pride ourselves on our common sense. Yet, paradoxically, even though our drinking water is some of the best in the world, and the health benefits of drinking water are increasingly very well known, generally when we're in a restaurant most people don't ask for tap water (and, even more oddly, a huge number of people drink mostly bottled water in their homes too).

It could be something to do with the fact that some people assume that the quality of what we get out of the tap is inferior to bottled water; but for a lot of people it's probably more to do with the fact that we're all a little scared of the reaction of our waiter, or those who are with us at the time.

There is clearly a pretty silly social element at work here - and this needs to change.

In England, we've got some of the best-quality water in the world and we should be more proud of it.

As the Environment Minister, I'm not going to tell people what to drink but I believe there is no place for snobbery about tap water, and no excuse for making people feel small if they do ask for it.

In Paris, leading restaurants have been offering "designer" (Pierre Cardin) carafes full of tap water instead of bottled water, and I am delighted that, in London, Thames Water is planning to sponsor a similar initiative.

If this move by Thames and the Mayor of London makes people more likely to ask for what they want in restaurants, then that has to be a good thing.

Of course there are circumstances where bottled water is a sensible option and fizzy (and those flavoured) waters are different products.

Ultimately, this is a question of choice - it's not the job of the Government to tell people what to buy.

But as far as I am concerned, it's absurd to use up the Earth's resources (including oil and lots more water) to manufacture a bottle and then fill it with water from somewhere else, using up still more of the Earth's resources to transport it hundreds or even thousands of miles, only for the bottle to end up being sent to landfill or using energy to be recycled - when the alternative is turning on the tap.

Sillier still is then to put ice cubes in your glass, also frozen from water from the tap.

Consumer groups estimate that we buy 13 billion plastic bottles of water in the UK each year. That is equal to about one bottle of mineral water per head of population every fortnight. Of those, we recycle some three billion and throw away an incredible ten billion.

In the manufacturing process, it requires seven - yes seven - litres of water, to make a single one litre plastic bottle.

And many of the bottles that are thrown away end up in our rivers and canals, creating a miniature version of the toxic vortex of bottles and other plastic debris that swirls around some of our great oceans.

It is very welcome to see that some of the bottled-water companies are looking to do more to encourage bottle recycling and the companies undoubtedly do a good job to protect the countryside by minimising the environmental damage when they take water out of the ground.

That said, with water available relatively cheaply at the end of a pipe - which doesn't have nearly as big an effect on the environment - it does seem very curious that still mineral water is so popular.

Rightly, over the past few years most people's attitudes to what man’s effect are on the environment, and particularly on climate change, has moved on quite a lot.

It's no longer seen as a bit odd to care about "green" matters - and this is clearly a good thing.

However, in large part because of the Victorians' engineering genius, our attitude to water is out of date - we take it for granted, but it is a precious and limited resource that we must value properly.

It's for this reason that I have recently launched the Government's strategy on water, and why water-metering (among other things) will need to become more widespread in areas where water is scarce.

There used to exist a widespread view in this country that says: what's freely available, what everybody can get, is necessarily not as valuable as something that is purchased individually, especially those goods that are seen as luxuries (due to scarcity, high prices, frighteningly effective marketing, or a combination of all of these).

Attitudes to common goods have changed, but nevertheless some products, rightly or wrongly, are seen as superior.

In the case of the difference between tap and still bottled water (even supposed "status" waters) this claim looks particularly dubious.

In the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, we took the view that there are good reasons to switch to using tap water in meetings because of bottled water's environmental impact (and cost).

This decision was the right one, and we will be getting other Government departments to follow suit.

Whether restaurants serve tap water is a decision for them, but if people ask for tap water as a matter of course, then the current stigma that's attached to it can't last.

There is certainly a debate to be had, and it does no harm for restaurants to know the public's views about this.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

That’s one mans distorted view of peoples preferences for good tasting water, and I say distorted because what he should be talking about is, not what’s in the bottle but the plastic bottle its self.

It has long been apparent that a person leaves common sense behind when entering Parliament (always assuming that they had some in the first place) but the above article in the Daily Mail by the Environment Minister surely proves it beyond all doubt!

His main objection and purely speculative suggestion is that the explosion of sales in bottled water by the British population is to save embarrassment in restaurants, where does he get his silly ideas? Has he actually done any research on how many people from our 60 million plus population eat in restaurants? And of that amount how many of them actually drink water of any type with there meal? I think not, what he is saying is totally silly (the word he repeatedly uses about purchasers of bottled water.) and unfounded. Has the Minister got shares in Thames Water or some other water company I wonder?

Personally I would avoid at all cost drinking the foul tasting Chlorine polluted water straight from the tap, without first making sure that it was suitably filtered, especially as the current Loony Labour Government are about to force feed the population a highly toxic acid, Fluoride just in case it might save some people getting tooth cavities, but that’s another story!

Yes He is probably right in his patronising comment that “Brits do pride them selves on their common sense” yes you are right minister,and that of course is why the choose to drink good tasting water, the choice is there’s, surely. He does however make one valid point about the transporting of water from all over the world, in the same way as it is totally questionable about the wisdom of transporting wine, cheese, apples, lamb, or any other foods stuff from Australia or New Zealand when we already produce it here, but then we do have a free trade arrangement, don’t we? But are we talking about the content or the plastic bottle, and if it is the bottle it comes in? Use your common sense Minister and simply ban all non-recyclable plastics, a simple solution!

Now, going back to the restaurant, I have never known any one to be embarrassed about asking for a jug of tap water and I have never known a restaurant refuse, I wouldn’t choose it because I know better!

But most people ask for a bottle of water because they are out for lunch or dinner to experience good food and drink, and are more likely to be embarrassed about asking for a cheap house wine to save a “raised eyebrow” from a waiter, who probably doesn’t know one wine from another anyway!

The minister may not be aware but all of the drinks (whether in a bottle or not) are in fact water in one form or another, and all of them take a huge amount of water to produce, so if he wants to be silly (his word) why not have restaurant draw their wine from 50 gallon drums stored out the back somewhere and serve it up in a jug! Just think of the saving there in transport and plastic bottles etc. I’m a bit suspicious of his motives for picking on water in this manner, it is not good enough to pick on “still” water in this way as the same principle applies to any drink transported anywhere in the world, why not pick on health damaging sugary drinks such as Coca Cola, or wine, beer and spirits?

I really shudder at his amazingly “silly” comment “There is certainly a debate to be had, and it does no harm for restaurants to know the public views about this”

Again this silly man has totally missed the point! The public has already shown its views and chosen bottled water and that is why the industry is so big and continuing to grow, where does he get his information? Has this ridiculous Nanny state got nothing better to do with its time?

If he is really serious about saving our land fill sites from 10 billion empty plastic water bottles, along with all other plastic bottles, simply ban them as a health and environment menace, or at least make sure that all bottles are recyclable and have a substantial deposit on them to make sure that people take them back to the shops, perhaps he should visit the Netherlands to see what they do.

Further on in his article the minister gets even sillier and quotes:

“But as far as I am concerned, it’s absurd to use up the Earths resources (including oil and lots of water) to manufacture a bottle and then fill it with water from somewhere else, using up still more of the Earths resources to transport it hundreds if not thousands of miles, only for the bottle to end up being sent to landfill or using energy to be recycled – when the alternative is to turn on the tap.”

He should be reminded that the fuel that goes into his car or in the taxi or bus that he uses is a diminishing Earth resource, the gas that heats his house and the electricity that lights his home or keeps his fridge and freezer working, or cooks his meals, and once it has been used it never comes back, but does cause environmental pollution and climate change, whilst water recycle its self continually just as it has done for millions of years, just as nature intended, so you see the resource of water is never used up but it is used time and time again.

His figure of 13 billion plastic water bottles cannot be trusted based on other information he gives, but even if the figure is accurate he seems to suggest (heavily) that it is restaurants that are responsible and that being caused by “embarrassed” customers (are all restaurant goers shy?) surely it only shows that tap water just doesn’t taste good and nothing to do with “snobbery” how silly of him to say “It’s a precious and limited resource” Precious it certainly is, but it is not limited in the same sense that oil based products are, water and water vapour is always kept in the Earths atmosphere, and just in case he hasn’t noticed it is conveniently delivered back to Earth in the form of rain to be collected and re-used over and over again. Clever isn’t it?

Peter Allen

Seven Swimmers in Chlorine Incident

2008-02-02T17:59:02+00:00

Although the following article refers to an incident in America, it does not mean that the same thing happens in the UK; in fact we know that it does happen (see previous articles on this Blog) and should be a cause for concern.

The higher level (under normal situations) of Chlorine in pools means that it is immediately recognised as a “swimming pool” smell and is characterised by sure eyes and stinging, sore throat, drying of the skin and sometimes breathing difficulties, and that’s at the “permitted concentrations surely that should be a warning to anyone in a Chlorine swimming pool that it is dangerous, or are we just too trusting and complacent?

Is it just when something goes wrong that we are more aware?

Seven swimmers sent to hospital

By Ryan Jensen - January 31, 2008

Doctors at Bulkley Valley District Hospital saw seven children on Sunday after being exposed to high chlorine levels at the Houston Leisure Centre.

"Some people were exposed to high levels of chlorine and had symptoms of eyes, ears and throat irritation," said Northern Health spokesman Mark Karjualoto. "Apparently, there were about seven children who had come into Smithers for follow-up care after complaints of eye irritation, coughing and burning skin."

The high chlorine levels were noticed Sunday afternoon and the facility was closed at 4:30 p.m.

On Monday, after air quality and chlorination levels were deemed to be acceptable, the facility was re-opened. On Tuesday, the facility was once again closed down while an environmental health officer (EHO) from NH came to conduct a review of the leisure centre. The EHO found the air and water quality to be within acceptable standards.

The Houston Leisure Centre was re-opened to the public following the visit by NH.

Ozone- a Revolution?

2008-01-25T19:22:10+00:00

Ozone purification.

The following article (by Siobhan Ryan) was printed by The Argus in Sussex.

But first some history…

What’s amazing about Ozone as a purifier? Well apart that it works extremely well the most amazing thing is that this perfectly natural purifier has been available since the beginning of time, yet it has been used very little as a purifier because of the high dependency on the very toxic Chlorine currently being used, it’s just laziness really by the powers that be.

Ozone (()3) is naturally formed whenever lighting occurs, or when an electrical discharge creates a charge, (so it is easily replicated) the Ozone layer protects the upper atmosphere and screens against dangerous solar radiation

.Ozone inactivates and oxidizes organic metals and most organisms faster than Chlorine.

It all began in Oudshoorn, Netherlands in 1893 and was the first Ozone water treatment plant in the World, the first large city to use Ozone for their drinking water was Nice in the South of France

Now, thousands of communities throughout the world use ozone. Los Angeles, California, is the world's largest (600 million gallons a day) water treatment plant to use ozone for water decontamination.

Ozone treatment is now easier more efficient and less costly than conventional methods. The "revolution" in ozone treatment is that it works - and works well - at an affordable price.

Bottling plants, municipalities and the beverage industry have used Ozone for decades, it is now used in vending machines and office water coolers as the chosen method of purifying water and to prevent contaminating taints to drinks and is approved by the Water Quality Association and many foreign authorities Worldwide.

Ozone treated water in swimming pools is far better and safer than Chlorinated pools

So it’s not new, it just hasn’t been used!

The article.

New hospital cleaning system to kill super bugs

By Siobhan Ryan

Housekeeping manager Maureen Bektasevic with a mop head cleaned by ozone

A revolutionary cleaning system has been introduced in two Sussex hospitals in a bid to combat a highly infectious superbug.

East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the first in the South East to use nature's most powerful disinfectant to raise hygiene standards and combat bugs such as Clostridium difficile (C diff) and MRSA.

Ozone is 3,200 times more effective than chlorine bleach and occurs naturally during thunderstorms when lightning changes the make-up of oxygen.

The trust, which runs Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards, is using a new system, which artificially recreates the thunderstorm effect and injects ozone into the wash process to disinfect contaminated cleaning mops.

Mops are a common source of infection in healthcare environments.

The laundry system, called OTEX, artificially creates the ozone through a combination of chemicals and water.

The laundry system differs radically from the conventional high temperature disinfection wash processes still used in most hospitals and care homes throughout the UK in that it uses mostly cold water and kills bacteria, viruses and super bugs on all wash cycles.

Current Department of Health guidelines recommend that infected laundry should be washed at specific high temperatures but scientific tests have shown that these processes are ineffective against C diff, which is now a bigger killer than MRSA.

During development of the OTEX system, microbiologists examined a mop, which had been used on a hospital ward and subsequently thermally disinfected as per the guidelines.
They found it was still teeming with 150,000 colonies of C diff spores but after the mop was processed with OTEX, no viable trace of the superbug was found.

OTEX is also effective against MRSA and other dangerous bacteria.

Trust assistant director of facilities Stuart Barnhill said:

"This new cleaning system has proved to be very effective in terms of disinfection.

"We use around 1,250 micro-fibre mops daily across both sites. The new laundry system is very quick which has enabled us to ensure that all areas have consistently clean mops every day."The housekeeping team recognised that with hospital infection rates, particularly MRSA and C diff, we needed to be effective in the cleaning methods and technology used."We now have daily cleaned mops to reduce any risk of cross contamination from cleaning, with separate mops for each bed area and toilet. "This has increased the amount of mops used daily but we now have a reliable system to support the washing of all mops."

OTEX has been developed by leading commercial laundry equipment distributor JLA.The company's business development director Dick Cardis said: "In spite of mounting scientific opinion that laundry can be a major carrier of infections, dozens of NHS trusts feel bound by the Department of Health guideline.

"It is disturbing to say the least that people are potentially being put at risk because of red tape.

"East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust must be applauded for opting for a system which provides the only effective method of eradicating C diff in contaminated laundry."

9:31am Thursday 24th January 2008

Chlorine fumes close Swimming pool 22.01.08

2008-01-23T07:16:14+00:00

Fumes ruin holiday at Water Park

By Josh Noel and Joseph Sjostrom | Tribune reporters

About 20 people, including children reveling during a school holiday, were taken by ambulance to hospitals from an Elmhurst indoor water park Monday afternoon after an automated system over chlorinated a pool.

In a sometimes-chaotic scene outside Mayan Adventure Indoor Water Park, part of the Holiday Inn Chicago-Elmhurst, paramedics loaded victims still in swim suits into ambulances while parents carried crying children into the parking lot.

Elmhurst Fire Battalion Chief Scott Wallace said most of the people were released from the hospitals after being treated for breathing problems, coughing or redness around the eyes and mouth. None of the injuries was life threatening, he said.

A child is moved to an ambulance after an apparent chlorine leak at the Mayan Adventure Indoor Water park, part of the Holiday Inn Chicago-Elmhurst.

(Tribune photo by Mario Petitti / January 21, 2008)

The pool manager called authorities about 1:15 p.m. after noticing the acrid stench near the water park's zero-depth pool, a children's play area with sprinklers. More than 200 people were in the water park at the time, he said.

"What they'll have to figure out now is what the problem was with that machine," Wallace said.

Laurie Kuypers, 42, of Oak Lawn said children began to cough hysterically throughout the water park at 624 N. York St. as soon as the fumes began to spread. Then she saw a lifeguard run past while pressing a towel against the face of a young girl in his arms. Everyone was herded into a hallway after that, she said, and paramedics set up a triage centre in the hotel bar.

"It was scary because we didn't know what was happening," Kuypers said.

Her 6-year-old daughter, Claire, cried as her mother hurried her to their SUV, but older sister Aileen, 9, remained composed.

"My stomach is hurting, but the lady said when we go outside, it would get a little better," Aileen said. "I think I'm feeling better."

Gabby Fernandez, 32, said she saw two children pass out and one with a bloody nose. Authorities could not confirm such injuries. Like many parents there, Fernandez and her family visited the water park because schools were closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"We came here to have a good time, but my son started coughing and then everyone started coughing," she said. "It just smelled really bad. Like a lot of chlorine."

The 24,000-square-foot water park is on the four-story hotel's first floor and opened in 2006. It has an 800-person capacity, with two large water tubes and a lazily flowing circular "river" that can be ridden on inner tubes. Snacks and drinks remained on tables besides piles of clothes and towels after the evacuation.

Holiday Inn manager Ken Herman said engineers and technicians will begin working Tuesday to determine what caused the malfunction. The DuPage County Health Department also will visit Tuesday, said Dave Haas, a spokesman for that agency.

"Obviously we're very concerned for everyone's safety," he said.

Herman hopes the water park will reopen by the weekend. The hotel was not closed.

Chemical alert at Leeds leisure centre

2008-01-16T17:11:02+00:00

The power and danger of Chlorine and Chlorine Vapour (gas) cannot be over emphasised

The following "incident" closed an entire Leisure centre down after a "cup" off Chlorine was spilled! the gas it gave off was of course much stronger than the vapour that comes from swimming pool water, but the very fact that a swimming pool has that very characteristic "swimming pool" smell and makes your eyes sting so much and your throat sore should be taken as a health warning in its self. The vapour is still as poisonous even at those lower concentrations, but instead of a few minutes of being exposed to the cupful of Chlorine and its resultant vapour, you may well spend an hour or more breathing it in as you swim or even if you are just a spectator . But it's worse than that, much worse, because in this case your are also immersed in heavily Chlorinated water and from time to time you may even swallow some, children are especially at risk, so whenever possible the wise choice would be to avoid chlorinated pools and search for a pool using ozone or salt.

16th January 2008.

Chemical alert at Leeds leisure centre

Kippax Leisure Centre on Tuesday night

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By Vicki Robinson

NINE children and an adult were taken to hospital after a chemical alert at a Leeds leisure centre.

Kippax Leisure Centre was evacuated after what is thought to be chlorine gas seeped into the swimming pool area of the building on Station Road.

The youngsters and adult were taken either to St Jame's Hospital or Pontefract General Infirmary as a "precautionary measure".

They were thought to have been suffering either from minor respiratory problems or skin irritations after coming into contact with the gas.

It is understood the incident was sparked when a cup of neat chlorine was accidentally knocked over. The liquid then became gas and seeped out into the swimming area.

Fire crews from Garforth and Castleford were called, along with police and health officers in specialist haz-mat suits.

They isolated the area where the leak had taken place and examined those affected.

Following the incident, at around 5pm on Tuesday, the centre was closed to the public for the rest of the evening.

People who arrived later for badminton games and other sports were turned away being told only that an "incident" had happened. The swimming pool area was locked and in darkness. Staff said they were unable to comment.

A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council, which runs the centre, said in a statement: "At around 5pm Kippax Leisure Centre was closed following what is believed to have been a chemical release.

"Immediate action was taken to evacuate members of the public and staff from the affected areas.

"Emergency services attended the scene and a small number of people were taken to hospital as a precaution."

She said the centre was likely to reopen today, though the pool area would remain shut until at least lunchtime while investigators worked to find out how the chemical release had happened.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said those who inhaled the gas were thought to have suffered only minor complaints.

* The pool was due to re-open at 2pm on Wednesday.

Chlorine Gas in Scottish Swimming Pool

2008-01-16T17:09:37+00:00

The dangers of Chlorine and its vapour.

I am not sure where this article was written (a newspaper somewhere) but it is very well worth a read, but also read the following article it will help in the understanding of why I think that Chlorine should be replaced by a safe alternative with out haste. Don’t let the “authorities” lead you into believing that it’s safe because this article and the “incident” that happened a Leeds pool shows otherwise.

Chlorine gas was used in the First World War by the Germans to kill troops.

Saddam Hussein and his murderous henchmen used Chlorine gas to kill innocent civilians.

08:50 - 08 January 2008

A Northeast swimming pool will open to the public again this morning after a staff error left it with dangerous levels of chlorine for five days.

Turriff Swimming Pool was closed last Thursday after staff detected a high chlorine level during their daily morning test before opening.

The pool was closed for health and safety reasons until the chlorine levels were brought back to an acceptable level.

Aberdeenshire Council confirmed last night that human error had caused the problem.

A spokesman said too much chlorine had been mixed with the water while the pool was closed during the festive period.

"Staff have been carrying out a back wash, which flushes the system through," he said.

"The chlorine had returned to a safe level on Monday, but we wanted to give it a bit more time just to make sure.

"The chlorine levels are normally kept balanced by people going in and out of the pool.

"When the pool is closed, usually the chlorine system is off, but someone forgot to do that."

He added: "Nobody was ever in the water when the levels were too high."

Chlorine, which is a powerful oxidant used in bleaching and disinfectants, can be poisonous.

It is an important chemical for water purification, disinfectants, and in bleach.

It is used to kill bacteria and other microbes in drinking-water supplies, and to keep public swimming pools clean and sanitary.

The spokesman confirmed that the pool, which is linked to the Gateway Community Centre near the town centre, was expected to be open to the public this morning.