Summary: An article covering the hazards in normal bathing and shower water and how modern shower filters remediate these.
The need for devices and systems to purify and filter drinking water has been long established. Beginning with Public Health approaches in the early part of the 20th century, municipal water treatment systems have become the foundation for a multi-tiered approach to maximize water purity in a given water supply system. Home filtration devices serve a critical need as well, not only for those using well water or ground water, but for people attempting to remove those "helpful" agents and contaminants added by the municipal water treatment system. One of the most toxic of these compounds is chlorine. There has been much contention centered on this additive the past few years. Possibly only fluoridation is as controversial a topic in the pure water debate. Increasingly, health proponents have decried the use of chlorine as a chemical assault on our water supply its detractors are many. Proponents continue to insist, and rightly so, that chlorine can kill off the worst bacterial offenders in our drinking water.
Regardless of the benefits of chlorine in controlling microbial and bacterial agents, it has some rather serious downsides, not the least of these that, in gaseous form chlorine is at least an irritant and, in its heavier concentrations, deadly. Many water treatment systems have begun substituting chloramine for chlorine as it produces comparable reduction in microbes while being somewhat less toxic in drinking water. However, due to its being a derivative of ammonia, it too can have adverse effects, especially in gaseous form. All of this brings us to the issue at hand - the necessity of using shower filtration to maintain good health. Combining water treatment additives with the pressurized hot water and steam in baths and showers can, and does, produce harmful gasses ingested directly through the lungs and skin of the shower user. And the two additives listed are not the only culprits. There is now documentation suggesting that a wide range of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that reside in our home water supply is just waiting for activation through the good old shower. And we always felt so safe and comforted there. But ask an asthma sufferer about his or her typical shower experience and you will likely get a different story.
More potent doses of Chlorine and dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOC's) are absorbed through the skin while bathing or showering than are absorbed through drinking water. The American Journal of Public Health, Vol.74, No. 5, concluded that skin absorption of contaminants in drinking water has been underestimated and that ingestion may not constitute the sole or even primary source of exposure. The Center for Environmental Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh found that at normal shower temperatures, about 50% of the dissolved chloroform (a carcinogenic chlorinated volatile organic chemical) in municipally treated water escapes into the air before the water reaches the shower floor. The remaining chloroform is still available in the shower water for absorption through the skin. The exposure to chloroform in the shower can exceed that from drinking water by 600%
While treating water before it enters the home usage system is probably the best approach, it is a fairly pricey option and most people simply will not want to spend the $400 - $900 dollars required to install a decent whole house water system. Fortunately there are cheaper alternatives available in the form of point-of-use shower filters. The problem with treating bath and shower water is the fact that it is heated and tends to degrade normal carbon filters. Newer technology has been able to overcome these deficits by the use of specially treated carbon filters and the use of KDF, a copper/zinc medium that alters the chemical composition of Chlorine and other VOC's rendering them inert in many cases or at least much less harmful. These types of shower filters remove 80-99% of Chlorine and Chloroform, Lead and many chemicals. Shower filters also aid in the removal of Hydrogen Sulfide, Iron Oxides and Odors from your shower.
Point of use shower filters attach directly to the shower faucet outlet and are effective at removing unwanted chemicals at up to approximately 115 degrees. The highest quality shower filters involve a two-step process in which water first flows through a granular copper/zinc media. This stage is designed to remove chlorine and restore the natural pH balance of the water. In the second stage of filtration, the water flows through a carbonized, coconut shell medium which significantly reduces synthetic chemicals and VOCs.
The cosmetic benefits of using a shower filter are obvious to anyone who has ever experienced the harshness of chlorinated water. The removal of chlorine from showering water guarantees softer skin and hair as the body is able to maintain and replenish its natural, moisturizing oils. Also, chlorine removal allows for less frequent use of expensive lotions and conditioners because skin and hair is naturally softer and healthier. More important though are the improvements in respiratory health for people using a shower filter. Those with asthma, respiratory problems and chemical sensitivities are particularly vulnerable to the insidious effects of vaporized chlorine and other VOC's. Shower filtration normalizes bath and shower water and virtually eliminates these aggravations.
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