Water, Water, Water: Act to Make Certain it is Safe to Consume.?

Every moment of every day humans everywhere consume water. Some drink, others bathe, while others cook or swim using Earth's most precious resource, WATER. Each of us presumes that the water we consume is safe and free from toxins, viruses, bacteria, or other harmful impurities. You are probably one of the billions of humans who takes for granted the safety of the water that you consume.

Do you, however, ever think about the source of water that you consume or do you simply consume it without concern? Do you ever determine if the source  is safe? Do you have the water you consume from your private wells chemically analyzed for common e.coli or other common impurities that may be prevalent because of damaging pesticides and herbicides or fertilized generated contaminants?  Do you ever question the municipality that supplies your water to determine what they do to assure the continuous safety of the water that is supplied.

Like most of us your answer would be that I never question that supplier or source to make certain that they safe water is always supplied. You probably never ask to view the data ,if it exists, that proves that the water you consume is safe. Like the majority of us you simply assume that it is. Like the majority, you are allowing yourself to potentially inflict harm to yourself and your loved ones because you are either trusting your supplier and sources or you simply don't consciously consider the subject. Or you simply do not care.

Well, if you are living in the USA and have been paying any attention to the reality of lead poisoning of thousands of trusting individuals who believed that the water they consumed was safe who learned instead that toxic lead was present in Flint, Michigan's municipal water supply. Even if they had been concerned and asked the municipal water department about the peculiar color and taste, the municipal authorities and state departments responsible lied and misled the approximately 100,000 residents of Flint and consequently caused developmental defects in thousands of children who will be permanently brain damaged and retarded.

Some of the so-called humans who were responsible for their deliberate acts that caused the irrevocable and deadly harm have recently been indicted for felonies that are tantamount to slow murderous acts of inhumanity. Apparently more indictments are coming. These indictments will do nothing to restore the stolen lives of infants and young children who are most susceptible to lead poisoning, nor will they help adults whose live will be likely shortened because of lead poisoning. The damage has been done and more than one hundred thousand Flint, Michigan residents are forever paying the price in sickness, premature deaths, and permanent developmental retardation.

If you have been following the Flint horror story and understand how and why it occurred, you should now become proactive to determine the safety of the water that you consume. Have you done anything? Or are you still indifferent and assume that all is well in your well or municipal water source? Consider what has happened in Flint Michigan and do not assume that itzeepsap@gmail.com is an isolated case. It is not! So become proactive and do what is necessary to assure yourself that you and your family are consuming safe fresh water whatever the source is.

Drinking Water Contamination in West Virginia --Another Tick of the Time Bomb

A state of emergency has been issued by the Governor of West Virginia advising more than 300,000 people in nine counties NOT TO DRINK OR COOK OR BATHE USING THEIR TAP WATER! President Obama has declared a state of emergency and national guard troops are bringing bottled water to serve the absolute necessity for drinkable water. This situation occurred because a storage tank and concrete containment enclosure leaked and unknown about of a chemical substance called 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol, or MCHM that is produced by a chemical company near Charleston. Material Data Safety Sheets for this chemical reveals its likely toxic and carcinogenic properties, that have not been confirmed by National Institute of Health evaluations. This neglect is common and blatant since fewer than 300 toxic / carcinogenic chemicals have been identified since the "chemical age" began about 85 years ago. Periodically,  National Institute of Health reports are issued describing verified carcinogens and their biological effects. Such scant coverage is a disgrace and surly must be apparent to those responsible for issuing the NIH report.

Man made synthetic chemicals production began with the large scale production and application of carcinogenic PCB's (1930) and we (all earth) now produce more than 30,000 different potentially toxic and carcinogenic man made synthetic chemicals that pose deadly threats to all humankind. The US EPA publishes an annual report called the Toxic Inventory Report that discloses the fact that more than 4 billion tons of toxic substances (mostly synthetic chemicals) are released annually into the USA environment where they most certainly contaminate drinking water sources, air, land and foods with potentially deadly cocktails of man made synthetic carcinogens and toxins. WE the people of the USA and rest of the industrial world that also release toxins and carcinogens  both accidentally and deliberately blithely ignore reality wondering why cancer strikes nearly 13 million people annually (and nearly 8 million die) and about 150,000 deformed infants are born including about 25,000 who are still born in the USA alone. Seldom if ever do individuals give a thought to the consequences of our toxic man made environment until  a sudden notable event occurs as it has in West Virginia. Momentarily we awaken and soon thereafter when the headlines change we forget about the insidious problems caused by man made synthetic chemicals that surround and poison us slowly. Exposure to cocktails of carcinogens and toxins that are present and accumulate gradually in our bodies cause cancer and other diseases.

Storage tanks leak gasoline, oil, and myriad man made chemical substances that are stored and distributed below and above ground virtually. Storage containers brake and fail as can pipelines suddenly releasing toxins and carcinogens into the environment.  Deliberate and permitted releases of toxic /carcinogenic chemicals are everywhere and everyone is exposed and we gradually accumulates dangerous and potentially deadly man made chemical substances in our bodies. Mothers bearing babies transmit toxins to the fetuses yet to be born. Everyone, everywhere is exposed to potentially disease-causing man made chemicals. The vast majority of these toxic/carcinogenic chemical substances are products of technology that were developed since 1930, most during the last 50 years that I describe as the peak of the "Chemical Age". Chemical industries constitute the largest market segment in the world, and new synthetic chemicals are developed continuously, generally without definitive pre-marketing testing to determine long term safety. The human race is the test bed and only if a synthetic chemical eventually is proven to cause cancers or other serious diseases is production banned. 

This can take many decades of use before action is taken to restrict use or production. Nearly 50 years elapsed before PCB ( a carcinogenic and toxic synthetic chemical) was banned. Meanwhile, millions of people were exposed and sustained diseases and cancers often fatal. Another example pertains to over one million people at the marine training base Camp Lejune were exposed to ground water contamination cause by disposal of deadly man made organic chemicals over a period of about 50 years before action was taken to stop its use and admit responsibility, and compensate family members who became ill and died. These types of incidents that kill and sicken occur regularly, and without identification of the cause of disease or death, other than the usual statement "natural causes". Neglect and dereliction saturates the annals pertaining to truthful disclosure of factual evidence concerning carcinogenic chemicals until the story cannot be withheld any longer. West Virginia came to the surface quickly because people drinking water notices the peculiar taste and odor and because so many people were suddenly affected. Such is not typically the case. Taste and odor signs are generally not present and people continue to consume toxins and carcinogens without awareness. 

Wherever you live your tap water contains trace amounts of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals that cannot be totally removed from tap water without major investment in new technology to treat municipal water supplies and stand alone wells using ground water in communities or individual homes and businesses.  Many trillions of dollars would be needed over at least a decade to accomplish this. Simultaneously elimination of toxic / carcinogenic synthetic chemicals from further production and  use is also needed or the problem will worsen more rapidly than it can be remedied. This requires "people action" and shaking up politicians, both of which demands comprehension and action by the majority of the public and politicians who are responsive and understand the critical issue. The Environmental Working Group, a non profit environmental group, is a good source of independent information, albeit constrained because of a very limited budget, regarding toxic or carcinogenic chemicals that are commonly found in commercial products, foods, and water. Follow the EWG, and obtain additional information to use your knowledge to combat this insidious health issue.

Whether you live in a rural communities served by wells or in metropolitan areas you are exposed to toxic and carcinogenic cocktails consisting of mixtures of trace amounts of man made chemical substances that endanger your health and that of your loved ones, and those yet to be born. What is taking place in West Virginia today is an example of what is happening below the news headlines every day, every where. You are simply unaware and generally unsuspecting. Water quality standards issued by the EPA lack scope, typically specifying fewer than 120 chemical substance as if they were present alone. Not only is the number of chemical substances unrealistically small but the standards do not even address the "cocktail effect" of multiple chemical substance in combination with one another. Synergistic damage is known to take place under certain conditions if cocktails of  trace amounts of harmful chemicals are tested on animals, obviously not including humans. 

Reality should awaken us and the rest of humankind to take action and prevent man made toxins and carcinogens from contaminating our planet and all life into the future. Substantial damage has already occurred and may not be totally reversible. Nonetheless action must be taken to prevent more biological damage. West Virginia is another tick of the brewing time bomb.  

P.S. My book published in 2007: "A Drinker's Guide to Pure Water--Is Your Water Safe?" deals with this subject and is available from Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle issues.

One Test is Worth a Thousand Expert Opinions---Is Your Drinking Water Safe?

We have all heard the relatively new word "fracking", but few understand what it is or why it threatens the safety of the water you drink and cook with, among numerous other daily activities. Safe water, i.e. water that can be consumed without danger of bio-accumulation of toxins and carcinogens in you body, is critical to sustaining your life.Our man-altered environment is laden with unnatural chemicals many of which are harmful and can be deadly. Many of these man-made chemical substances are commonly used for yard and home maintenance and industrial purposes. Regulation of the use of harmful chemicals is lax and often lacking altogether. Water quality reports issued annually by municipal water operators are only required to monitor and report on about 110 of more than 10,000 man made dangerous chemicals that are present in air, land, and water in our nation. The development and use of man made toxic chemical has increased exponentially following the invention of PCB's about 1929. The National Institute of Health and Environmental Protection Agency issue annual reports that list many but not all toxic and carcinogenic chemicals that are detected. The cost of comprehensive testing for all unnatural toxic chemical substances would require budgeting many trillions of dollars annually, and consequently are ignored or outright opposed federal, state, and local government. Removal by advanced treatment technology is feasible but very expensive. Therefore lacking effective regulations, detection standards, and  special interest opposition to any regulations or testing everyone in our nation who consumes municipally treated  or private well water are at risk of being or becoming contaminated with dangerous and potentially life-threatening man made chemical substances.

This risk is now greater than ever before because of the introduction of fracking technology used to recover natural gas and oil from deep-underground reserves found in certain types of geological  shale. Natural gas (methane), and oil have been discovered locked in interstitial voids in certain types of shale and has ignited a literal gold rush to recover these valuable source of fossil fuel energy. Advanced drilling technology allows deep wells to be vertically and horizontally arranged to enable the release and capture of fossil fuels that were previously unrecoverable. Met many uses industrially, commercially, and for the ordinary consumer and this new recovery process has stimulated vast recovery efforts wherever adequate supplies and potential prices justify the recovery costs. That seems to be the case wherever shale gas or oil is found and now throughout our nation methane and oil mining is beginning to boom using "fracking" technology. The practice is spreading worldwide.

The word "fracking" is an acronym for cracking/fracturing that along with drilling both vertical and horizontal shafts.These shafts are subsequently concrete lined for viaducts to introduce pressurized blends of water, quartz sand, and organic chemicals (referred to as fracking slurries or fluids) into the compact shale/gas formations. These fracking slurries that are pumped into the concrete viaducts under pressure generate new cracks in the shale that extend vertically to allow methane gas to escape to the earth's surface where it is accessible for storage, distribution, purification and use. Fracking slurries contain harmful organic chemicals that greatly reduce the pressure needed to induce vertical cracks in the shale to release the interstitial methane or oil. The fracking process becames economically viable as a result.

Conceptually the fracking process seems innocuous and harmless, but the opposite is true when the actual complex earth structures are taken into account. As holes are drilled to establish the viaducts for slurries, they invariably intersect and expose underground aquifers that are sources for drinking water used throughout our nation. Approximately 80% of all drinking water in the USA is derived from aquifers, and it is often recycled after first use for secondary or tertiary non-potable applications such as irrigation for certain agricultural uses and industrial processes. Eventually almost all toxic and carcinogenic chemicals return to the water cycle as contaminated rain, soil, and surface water and to underground aquifers. Certain toxic and carcinogenic chemicals that do not decompose nor are removable using present water treatment technology are consequently retreated and reused as if harmless when in fact they are harmful. Water used in fracking slurries will contain toxic chemicals that are recycled and reused after municipal treatment that will not remove dangerous organic chemicals. This is the case for fracking chemicals that are constituents constituents in the essential crack-inducing slurries.

The chemical formulation of fracking slurries are not revealed by corporations using fracking processes and are considered proprietary trade secret information. The only certain way to determine their "secret" is to conduct tests before and after fracking operations, and to do so impartially and comprehensively. Many so-called expert opinions have been given by self-interested parties but so far no information has been disclosed to the public by any of these paid talking experts. Lacking tangible data, the public is told by corporations using fracking and their political parasites water water quality is not endangered. Where is the proof? Nowhere in sight, because tests and results, if accomplished, have not been revealed. There have been, however numerous anecdotal reports that tap water in private homes nearby fracking operations is foul tasting that sometimes ignites with a match. Very limited testing has revealed the presence of benzene (a known human carcinogen) and 2 Butoxyethanol  (suspected human carcinogen) in well water in close proximity to fracking operations. 

During my professional career as a Research Director, VP, and research engineer I routinely adhered to what I consider the irrefutable  research parable: "One Test is Worth a Thousand Expert Opinions". The so-called corporate experts and their political money bags claim that their is nothing to be concerned about fracking slurries. I take this to mean "beware". We all must demand comprehensive testing before widespread fracking is allowed. The human disaster that could result if we ignore this need would be cataclysmic as the water we drink becomes more toxic and carcinogenic.. Speak out and demand action now. Demand comprehensive testing.

Reference: "A Drinker's Guide to Pure Water---Is Your Water Safe", iUniverse Inc., by Zalman P. Saperstein, 2006

The Drinking Water Dilemma: The Toxins and Cancer-Causing Man-Made Chemicals in Your Drinking Water

The Drinking Water Dilemma: The Toxins and Cancer-Causing Man-Made Chemicals in Your Drinking Water: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

The Toxins and Cancer-Causing Man-Made Chemicals in Your Drinking Water

Today some snippets of new appeared in various parts of the USA concerning the ongoing work of the Environmental Working Group. This research and advocacy organization is dedicated to educating the American public about the poisons in our drinking water, and the scope of the problem that even affects new born children.

One piece of news relates to Madison Wisconsin's municipal water system. Excessive concentrations of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen is present in all public water provided in Madison. EWG reports that this is very common in all cities in the USA.

If this type of problem was a rarity we might be able to locally respond with appropriate corrective action. It is not a rarity. Toxic and carcinogenic water is consumed by virtually millions of us , probably a majority of all Americans daily, as we drink and cook with tap water wherever we live and travel. The reason is that we are now living during the 9th decade of the massive poisoning of all water supplies with man-made chemicals. Virtually all of these man-made chemicals were developed, manufactured, and released into our water sources, often deliberately and almost always without public awareness or consent. This toxification of Earth's water has effected all regions of the world where over 100,000 different man-made toxic and carcinogenic chemicals have been produced and used in monumental quantities for industrial, military, commercial, and public purposes since the 1930's, when PCB's were first manufactured and used in massive quantities. This long lasting toxin, PCB, is found in most water systems also, and will persist indefinitely unless new water purification systems are implemented throughout our country. A pure pipe dream in our country.

Meanwhile we all are exposed daily to carcinogens and toxins with every sip of water and bite of food, and often airborne sources that we breathe as well. Is there any wonder that cancer is rampant, even among children and new born as they are recipients of their mothers water-containing toxins during fetal development.

I wrote a book on this subject in 2006, " A Drinker's Guide to Pure Water--Is Your Water Safe" that I hoped would awaken some of us to the magnitude of this problem and help activate some remedial action. Another pure pipe dreams. Maybe with the recent EWG findings some of us will awaken and at least take personal steps to protect ourselves from these killing cancer-causing chemicals. You can purchase my book very inexpensively from Amazon. It is almost being given away so get a copy and share it with friends and relatives, and follow EWG reports. At least you will become aware of the facts and possibly do something constructive to protect your self and loved ones from the poisons and carcinogens carried in your drinking water.

Walking, Talking, Reservoirs

Without drinking water we all perish. We become dehydrated and merely skin, bones, and dry organs. We lose about 70% of our body weight as we shrivel and eventually leave only our bones behind to possibly fossilize for some future archeologist, a million years from now, to discover and analyze. Without water we are truly a sack of bones. Yet we seldom give a thought to protecting the water we drink from contamination with toxic substances, and therefore many of us carry more than 100 pounds of potentially toxic water in us as`we meander about. If you weigh 150 pounds, nearly 100 pound of your weight is water. The source of all the water in you body is external. Food, watery fluids, and most vitally water. about 5 quarts of water becomes blood and recirculates continuously and is replenishes as waste fluids are normally eliminated. Much of the water is permanently stores in our cells throughout our body. We are walking, talking, reservoirs of water and will not exist if we dry out.

Despite the vital function of water we seldom think about it. We eat, drink, and take for granted the most vital ingredient of life. We also fail to acknowledge that every pound of weight we gain is about 70% water. The worlds population of about 6.8 billion stores in their approximate average weight bodies (estimated by me as 85 pounds), more than 400 billion pounds of water. As the earth's population increases this number does, so that by 2050 when the population is estimated to reach about 10 billion people, approximately one trillion pounds (454 billion kilograms, or about 161 billion cubic feet)of water will be stored in our collective world population bodies. The fatter we grow the greater will be the total amount.

Upon life termination the water contained within us returns to earth in the form of evaporation or fluid dispersion, that may not be readily available to resupply aquifers, etc. Even if they would resupply water sources would the water be OK to drink, even after treatments that are seldom adequate? How large can the world population grow before potable water becomes depleted, and massive purification methods will be required. At the rate that political leaders recognize and respond to new requirements it will likely be too late, and massive die offs will likely occur.

The simultaneous poisoning of earths drinking water (my book,"A Drinker's Guide to Pure Water, Is Your Water Safe?) describes the problems) and the population explosion will intersect at some point and future life will cease, at lease as we recognize it. This may take several hundreds , thousands , or even millions of years dependent upon the rate at which toxification of drinking water continues, and the human tolerance to chemical toxins, and carcinogens.

Mute, Think, Hoot,, and Vote

What do you do when you hear and see the 15 second political blurbs that try to get you to vote for their candidate? My wife and I mute the sound,and hoot. We do not care what the commercials claim. Your vote must be based upon facts and principles that are based upon reality not bull. Here are some suggestions to consider before you cast your vote.

1. If you are committed to the double superlative Republican motto, "The least government is the best government" then vote for no government that is the least, and vote Republican. Accept the consequences. The least of anything is zero or none. Republican seem to believe their frequently acclaimed motto, that no government is best, so take them at their word and vote for change where our taxes for roads are eliminated and roads crumble, school taxes are eliminated and scools decay, water treatment taxes are eliminated and clean drinking water disappears, sewerage inundates our communities, etc. since if the Republicans achieve their goal all taxes will be reduced to zero, government becomes non-existent, and we all fend for ourselves. The "common good" becomes "indifferent neglect".

2. If you believe that "government for the people, by the people, and of the people", and that we are guided as our Pledge of Allegiance avows:
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all", what choice have you other than vote Democratic.

The Republican/Tea Party candidates universally advocate for "the least government", separation and division, and some even claim that violent armed revolution is "on the table", despite our Constitution's underlying purpose to "form a more perfect union". The Republicans often favor separation from "the Union of States" and dissolution of our Union of States.

The fundamental distinctions between the Democratic and Republican Parties are clear and indisputable. You, a thinking person, are able to understand the facts and vote accordingly.

Fifteen second bits of video and radio propaganda that aim to capture your vote are valueless and must be ignored. Vote instead for the underlying principles that you support, and your vote will at least reflect your beliefs, not a TV or radio political advertisement.

"Mute" the propaganda and "Hoot" for what you believe after understanding why you believe what you believe. Vote for the politician that you rationally believe will best serve our nation, and your basic needs as a citizen of the United States of America.