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The following data is a list of pollutants
which are found in some water supplies. The first table is a breakdown of
manufactured chemicals you may find in water taken from a river. The table is based on an
analysis of treated drinking-water drawn from the river Severn in 1994.
Key to Organisations:
-
IARC (International Agency for Research
on Cancer)
-
WHO (World Health Organisation)
-
USEPA (United States Environmental
Protection Agency)
Pollutants found in water supplies:
NB. Carcinogenic means cancer-causing.
|
Name |
Type |
Observations - see footnote. |
Organisation |
|
Trifluralin |
herbicide |
possibly
carcinogenic to humans |
USEPA |
|
Cypermethrin |
insecticide |
possibly
carcinogenic to humans |
USEPA |
|
|
|
moderately
hazardous |
WHO |
|
Chlorothalonil |
fungicide |
probably
carcinogenic to human |
USEPA |
|
Propriconazole |
fungicide |
moderately
hazardous |
WHO |
|
MCPA |
herbicide |
slightly
hazardous |
WHO |
|
|
|
possibly
carcinogenic to humans |
IARC |
|
|
|
probably
carcinogenic to humans |
USEPA |
|
Ioxynil |
herbicide |
moderately
hazardous |
WHO |
|
Bromoxynil |
herbicide |
moderately
hazardous |
WHO |
|
2, 4 DB |
herbicide |
slightly
hazardous |
WHO |
|
* 2, 4 D |
herbicide |
moderately
hazardous |
WHO |
|
|
|
possibly
carcinogenic to humans |
IARC |
|
*2,4,5 T (TCPA) |
herbicide |
moderately
hazardous |
WHO |
|
|
|
possibly
carcinogenic to humans |
USEPA |
|
Dichlorprop |
herbicide |
slightly
hazardous |
WHO |
|
MCPB |
herbicide |
slightly
hazardous |
WHO |
|
2, 3, 6 TBA |
= |
slightly
hazardous |
WHO |
|
Atrazine |
herbicide |
possibly
carcinogenic to humans |
USEPA |
|
Terbutryn(e) |
= |
possibly
carcinogenic to humans |
USEPA |
|
Permethrin |
insecticide |
moderately
hazardous |
WHO |
|
Cyfluthrin |
= |
moderately
hazardous |
WHO |
|
Isoproturon |
herbicide |
slightly
hazardous |
WHO |
|
Linuron |
= |
slightly
hazardous |
WHO |
|
Difenzoquat |
= |
moderately
hazardous |
WHO |
|
EPTC |
= |
moderately
hazardous |
WHO |
|
Triadimefon |
fungicide |
slightly
hazardous |
WHO |
|
Flutriafol |
= |
slightly
hazardous |
WHO |
*2,4D and 2,4,5T combined make 'Agent
Orange'. This was used in the Vietnam war as a defoliant but some of the
military personnel handling Agent Orange either developed cancer or fathered
deformed babies (blamed on the chemical's dioxin content).
Observations are based on findings reported
in the book, "P IS FOR Pesticides" (1991).
Also
found in water;-
Aldrin |
Carbendazim | Carbetamide | Cloptralid | Dichlobenil | Dieldrin |
Diflubenzuron | Diuron | Endrin | Fenpropimorph | Flucofuron | Fluroxyper |
Hexachlorobenzene | Iprodione | Methabenzthiuron | Prometryne | Propazine |
Propyzamide | Simazine | Sulcofuron | Tecnazine | Trietazine
Other supplies of water
Other sources of water can be substantially
less polluted. However, aluminium from water treatment and lead from
plumbing can be found in even the least polluted supplies of water.
... and fluoride?
In April 2002, the
USEPA published the following document;-
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE (RFA)
MEASUREMENT OF
FLUOROSILICATES IN DRINKING WATER
Announcement date: April
25, 2002
An offeror [sic] must submit the
application (original plus four copies) so as to be received by 12:00 noon
Eastern Daylight Saving Time on Monday, June 3, 2002.
Even the USEPA are in
the dark on water fluoridation. So what about the
decades of pro-fluoridation propaganda which has
told us that water fluoridation is "safe" and
"effective"? The Americans have been drinking
fluoridated water for many years and yet the
Government doesn't even know what happens to
artificial silicofluorides when they enter the
water.
Finally, while
fluoride exists in water (mostly) as a relatively
insoluble fluoride ion (in cold water), or as calcium fluoride, it
needs to be considered what happens when tap-water
is boiled.
Exactly what occurs
when water is heated to such a degree that the
fluoride ion / component becomes unstable? And can
it react with other chemicals in water to form
dangerous fluorine-related compounds? There exists
some very dangerous pollutants in some tap-water
sources, especially when taken from rivers.
No information seems
to exist on this issue and this must be of concern
to anyone whose tap-water is of a significantly poor
quality.
Useful links:
[1] IRIS. "IRIS is a database of
human health effects that may result from exposure
to various substances found in the environment.":
http://www.epa.gov/iris/
[2] Pesticide information:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/
[3] Chemical
information:
http://www.chemweb.com/
[4] Chemical reference
database:
http://www.chemfinder.com/
[5] Pesticides Action
Network and database:
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/
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