The Story of Water & Cancer
It is estimated 60% to 80% of all cancers are environmental in origin. There is a growing consensus that the majority of cancers are caused by chemical carcinogens in the environment, and hence, ultimately preventable. Several studies have demonstrated the presence of chemical carcinogens in surface, ground water, and municipally-treated drinking water. In addition, trihalomethanes (THM's) can actually be produced during the chlorine treatment of our drinking water.

In short, the amount of chemical compounds discharged in our water, directly or indirectly, is staggering. "Over 2100 organic and inorganic drinking water contaminants have been identified in U.S. drinking water supplies since 1974. Out of these 2100, 190 of the contaminants have confirmed adverse health effects, whether carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens or toxic.

Even with the EPA drinking water standards, we cannot be assured that the tap water we are drinking is not going to weaken our immune system or lead to cancer. Many cancer-causing agents take twenty to thirty years before the effects show up. Each of us is metabolically different and reacts to carcinogenic agents in a unique way. Epstein sums it up, "There is no threshold for chemical carcinogens."

Information on a variety of carcinogenic agents in drinking water-fluoridation, chlorination and asbestos-- will be represented later. However, before looking at these, there is some fascinating research based on positive substances in drinking water that actually can help protect us from cancer. This research centers on four factors: total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, pH, and silica.

Burton and Cornhill analyzed the drinking water in 100 largest cities in the United States. They found a 10% to 25% reduction in the amount of cancer deaths if the drinking water contained a moderately high level of TDS (around 300 mg/L), if the water was hard, if the water had an alkaline pH (above 7.0) and if the water had 15 mg/L of silica.