| Beryllium is a hazardous contaminant found in water.
This article discusses where it comes from and how water testing
can tell your if beryllium is in your water. Once water testing
tells you the level of beryllium in your water, you can install
the right water filter to remove it.
When I sit down to write an article on potable water, first
I review a few public water laboratory results that cross
my desk each week. Why? Because I get a first-hand look at
just how bad some public water supplies really are.
For example, the lab results of water utilities in the state
of New York included at least 10 harmful contaminants:
• Carbon tetrachloride
• Dichlordifuoromethane
• Tetrachloroethylene
• 1,2,4-trichloroethene, dalapon
• 1,2 dibromo-3-chloropropane
• MTBE
• Phenanthrene
• Beryllium
• TTHM
• HAA5
And yet those water companies, like so many others, were able
to claim their water meets "all state and federal drinking
water standards," so customers should feel confident about
its safety.
I don't believe water companies intentionally added these
types of chemicals to their water (like they do with chlorine
and fluoride), but they hurt their customers by telling them
everything is OK, when it's not. My guess is they do so because
they don't want to deal with the legal consequences or invest
money in the necessary equipment to clean up their water supply.
For now, let’s talk about beryllium, one of the contaminants
found in those New York public water supplies, as well as
many other systems across the United States, that can damage
your health.
What is Beryllium?
Beryllium is a metal that is found in rocks, soil, coal and
oil. It was first discovered in 1797 by Louis Nicolas Vauquelin.
However, it wasn't until the 1950s that it became "widely"
used in industry. Industry fell in love with beryllium because
it can withstand extreme heat, remain stable over a wide range
of temperatures and is an excellent thermal conductor. Companies
also found, when they combined beryllium with metals such
as copper, nickel or aluminum, it enhanced the performance
of those metals.
Today, you'd be hard pressed to walk a few feet and find a
product that doesn't contain beryllium. For example, beryllium
is used as a base metal in battery contacts and electronic
connectors in cell phones.
It's used in FM radios, high-definition cable television and
underwater fiberoptic cable systems.
It's used in air bags, auto ignition and power steering systems.
It's used in fire extinguishers and sprinkler heads.
The medical industry relies on beryllium for applications
in pacemakers, lasers used to analyze blood and x-ray imaging
equipment.
Beryllium is used in military weapons guidance and radar navigation
systems. And it's used in helicopters, fighter aircraft and
tanks, surveillance satellites, and aircraft landing gear
components.
It's also used in the millions and millions of personal computers
made each year to connect the various microprocessors they
contain.
And the list goes on and on ...
How Does Beryllium Get Into Our Water Supply?
Beryllium and other toxins typically get into the water supply
as a result of industries dumping contaminants directly into
streams, rivers and lakes, pumping them into the air supply
or burying them in the ground. Then, rainwater eventually
washes these toxins into our water supply.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports (during
its most current reporting year) about 1 million pounds of
beryllium and beryllium compounds were disposed of in the
environment. In reality, the number was probably a lot higher
because EPA numbers are based on companies that "estimate"
their toxic releases and "voluntarily report them." Also,
many companies are excluded from that EPA report.
According to the EPA report, these states released the highest
levels of beryllium into the environment:
1. Idaho
2. Indiana
3. Alabama
4. West Virginia
5. Ohio
6. Georgia
7. Texas
8. Utah
9. Michigan
10. New Mexico
How Does Beryllium Affect Your Health?
Beryllium is a known carcinogen. And, it is a suspected cardiovascular
and blood toxicant, gastrointestinal and liver toxicant, immunotoxicant,
kidney toxicant, reproductive toxicant, respiratory toxicant
and skin toxicant.
Put simply, beryllium is very bad for you.
How Does Beryllium in the Water Supply Enter Your Body?
It's believed beryllium will not enter your body from
skin contact, unless your skin is scraped or cut, in which
case beryllium can enter the wound.
Ingesting water containing beryllium passes from your stomach
and intestines into the bloodstream. From there, it's carried
by the blood into the kidneys. Beryllium leaves the kidneys
through the urine. Some beryllium can also be carried by the
blood to the liver and bones where it may remain for long
periods of time.
It is thought if you swallow beryllium it will leave your
body in a few days. However, if you inhale beryllium, such
as that contained in steam from a hot shower, it may take
months to years before your body rids itself of this toxin.
That's because it takes a long time before all the beryllium
in your lungs enters the bloodstream.
Protect Yourself and Your Family
Find out if beryllium and other contaminants are in your water
supply. If they are, get the right treatment system to remove
them.
Don't assume that you can judge your water's purity by the
way it looks, tastes or smells. Only sophisticated laboratory
equipment can detect low levels of contaminants that can hurt
you. Remember those water samples I mentioned at the beginning
of this article that contained all those contaminants?
The water looked, tasted and smelled A-OK.
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