In January, citizens of Fremont, Ohio, were warned for the third time in less than six months that their drinking water contained high concentrations of nitrate.

Nitrate (NO3) is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It’s found naturally in the environment, and it’s harmless in small amounts. However, when large amounts of nitrates from agricultural operations and waste dumps contaminate drinking water, they make the water dangerous. In the body, nitrate is converted to nitrite, which can reduce oxygen supplies to organs like the brain. This is especially dangerous for infants. Nitrate levels of 10 mg/l or higher can cause methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome,” in which the ability to utilize oxygen is reduced.

Nitrate levels in the water of Fremont, OH, were found to be 11.3 mg/l, and officials issued an advisory and warned that infants under the age of 6 months should not be given tap water.

Symptoms of blue baby syndrome include blue skin (especially around the eyes and mouth), shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, and headache. If you suspect methemoglobinemia, take the baby to the hospital immediately. If left untreated, blue baby syndrome may cause permanent brain damage or death.

Elevated levels of nitrates in drinking water have also been linked to thyroid problems, increased risk for birth defects, increased risk of diabetes, and increased mortality rates for several different types of cancer.

Protect your water from nitrate contamination by using home water filters.

I’ve heard that 90% of U.S. bills have traces of cocaine on them, but I’ve never heard that drinking water has traces of cocaine in it - until now.

National Geographic reports that illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and meth end up in drinking water supplies through human urine and feces. Lovely! Unfortunately, the sewage treatment process cannot completely remove drugs from drinking water. A 2008 study found a cocaine metabolite in 22 out of 24 samples tested at a Spanish water treatment plant.

Harmful legal drugs (pharmaceutical drugs) also end up in drinking water. Your drinking water may very well contain morphine and estrogen. Over time, traces of such medicines can certainly have a dangerous effect the body. For example, many drugs and other chemicals mimic hormones in the body. Water pollution has gotten so bad in some parts of the U.S. that male fish are growing female parts!

Invest in an undersink reverse osmosis water filter to remove dangerous drugs (both legal and illegal) from your drinking water.

Hey guys, this Top 10 list comes from the producers of the documentary film Tapped the Movie, a critical examination of the bottled water industry:

1. Write to your U.S. Senator now . . . Email your U.S. Senator to voice support for the proposed federal ban on BPA in food and drink containers.

2. Donate to the Breast Cancer Fund.

3. Skip bottled water and use your own unlined stainless steel water bottles. Carefully choose a stainless steel water bottle, and make sure it’s unlined — some metal water bottles contain a plastic liner that may contain BPA.

4. Limit canned foods and beverages. The epoxy liners of metal food and beverage cans most likely contain BPA. Especially avoid canned foods that are acidic (e.g., tomatoes, citrus products, and acidic beverages, like colas) and canned alcoholic beverages, since acids and alcohols can exacerbate the leaching of BPA.

5. Skip the water cooler. Those hard plastic jugs that many companies use to provide their employees and customers with “pure” water are usually made with BPA. Drink filtered tap water instead.

(You can also ask your employer to invest in an eco-friendly bottle-less water cooler for your office.) 

6. Store foods in glass. Just be sure to wash the lids, if made of plastic, by hand and not in the dishwasher.

(Glass bottles are also safer than plastic when it comes to storing beverages, especially acidic beverages like many juices.)

7. Use your own unlined stainless steel travel mug. Heat helps toxins from leach into your beverage. Instead of accepting a polystyrene “to-go” cup for your hot beverage purchases, use a unlined stainless steel travel mug.I use a good ol’ cast iron skillet along with stainless steel cookware!

8. Avoid Cooking in Non-Stick Pans and Eating Foods Packaged with Non-Stick Plastics. Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are carcinogenic chemicals that make materials stain and stick resistant and persist in our bodies long after the packaging from such products like microwave popcorn or pizza is disposed or the non-stick pan is put away.

 (I use a good ol’ cast iron skillet along with stainless steel cookware.)

9. Minimize hard plastics in your kitchen. Hard plastic stirring spoons, pancake flippers, blenders, plastic cutting boards, measuring cups, and colanders regularly come into contact with both food and heat. Replace these items with wooden, metal, or glass alternatives.

10. Join an advocacy group. Food & Water Watch and Environmental Working Group will keep you up-to-date with current research and legislation regarding plastics and food and water safety.

Thanks to the work of people like the folks who produced Tapped the Movie, the bottled water industry is losing ground. One popular bottled water company recently reported a 24 percent loss in annual revenue. Keep up the good work, people!

Isn’t it bad enough that our drinking water is polluted with fluoride, chlorine, industrial chemicals, and pesticides? Appartently not!

Several recent studies have found pharmaceutical drugs in drinking water - from antipsychotics to sex hormones. An Associated Press investigation found pharmaceuticals in the drinking water supply of at least 41 million people in the United States.

When people take drugs, some of the pharmaceuticals pass through their body and exit in urine, which is flushed down the toilet. This water is treated before it enters rivers and lakes, and it’s treated again before it becomes drinking water, but water treatment plants do not remove all pharmaceuticals.

EPA scientist Christian Daughton explained, “People think that if they take a medication, their body absorbs it and it disappears, but of course that’s not the case.”

Then there’s the problem of hospitals and other health care facilities that flush old medicine down the toilet, as if the toilet makes the drugs magically disappear. It’s not magical, folks. It’s just a crapper.

Bovine drugs - such as the antibiotics given to cows - also end up in drinking water supplies. (Cows have to pee, too!)

According to the EPA, sewage treatment systems are simply not engineered to remove pharmaceutical drugs. In fact, the highest concentration of pharmaceuticals in drinking water tends to be near sewage treatment plans (suggesting that most of the drugs enter water from human waste).

Of course, the level of exposure to drugs in drinking water is low, but over the years, it can add up to cause harm. For instance, sex hormones can interfere with reproduction and development, and psyciatric medications can alter behavior, even at a low levels of chronic exposure. And antibiotics in the water only contribute to the development of more “super bugs.”

“These are chemicals that are designed to have very specific effects at very low concentrations,” explains Dr. John Sumpter of Brunel University. “That’s what pharmaceuticals do. So when they get out to the environment, it should not be a shock to people that they have effects.”

An under sink reverse osmosis water purifier is the best way to eliminate pharmaceuticals from your water.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that my skin was really dry. We’ve had some uncharacteristically cold weather around Atlanta this year. Cold, dry air + artificial heat = dry skin.

I took two steps to clear up my dry skin problem: I started drinking more filtered water (including a full glass after breakfast), and I started taking one of my girlfriend’s fish oil supplements with that glass of water. Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids that contribute to skin health.

And, as Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com recently explained, clean water is essential for skin health, too: “Far too many consumers are chronically dehydrated, and as a result they suffer systemic dehydration of their skin, which makes it look older, more wrinkled and less smooth. Drinking adequate water is crucial for supporting your skin health, but you’ve got to drink clean water to accomplish this, not tap water.

“The cleanest water, of course, is natural spring water. If you’re lucky enough to live near a spring, bottle up your drinking water from it (test it for contamination first, of course), and consume that. Don’t buy bottled water as it creates a mountain of waste (plastic bottles). Furthermore, the Bisphenol-A in the plastic bottles has been proven so toxic that it was recently banned from baby bottles in Canada.

“So what’s the next best choice for your drinking water? Bottle your own. Get yourself an Aquasana water filter, which is, in my view, the No. 1 consumer water filter on the market today.”

Great info, Mike! We here at Ambrosia Water Filters agree that the Aquasana water filter is the best value for home water filters.

Shower water filters also help dry skin by removing chlorine and other irritating chemicals from water. If you’ve ever spent a few hours in a chlorinated swimming pool, then you know how badly chlorine can dry out the skin!

Other tips for skin health in the winter:

Use warm water instead of hot water in the shower. Hot water tends to dry out the skin. As soon as you get out of the shower, apply natural skin lotion; this will seal in the moisture.

You may want to consider getting a humidifier, too. Humidifiers restore moisture to dry air. If you get a humidifier, be sure to use filtered water or distilled water. If you use regular tap water, the humidifier will produce a mist that contains tap water contaminants.

Today I venture outside the realm of home water filters to explore an interesting phenomenon dubbed the Avatar blues.

First of all, if you haven’t seen the movie Avatar yet, I urge you to go see it. This is one movie you’ll want to see in the theater.

If you’ve already seen the movie, you may (or may not) be surprised to learn that many viewers are leaving the theater feeling sad, depressed, and even suicidal. CNN reported on the Avatar blues recently and published several comments from fan forum sites.

“I wasn’t depressed myself. In fact the movie made me happy,” said Philippe Baghdassarian. “But I can understand why it made people depressed. The movie was so beautiful and it showed something we don’t have here on Earth. I think people saw we could be living in a completely different world and that caused them to be depressed.”

As CNN describes it, “the world of Pandora is reminiscent of a prehistoric fantasyland, filled with dinosaur-like creatures mixed with the kinds of fauna you may find in the deep reaches of the ocean. Compared with life on Earth, Pandora is a beautiful, glowing utopia.”

Indeed, the 3D film shows us the majestic beauty of floating mountains and allows us to sense the serenity of a forest glowing with bioluminescence.

“I was depressed because I really wanted to live in Pandora, which seemed like such a perfect place,” wrote Ivar Hill of Sweden. “But I was also depressed and disgusted with the sight of our world, what we have done to Earth. I so much wanted to escape reality.”

I would like to suggest that maybe we don’t need to escape reality; maybe we simply need to dive into reality and truly experience it. It can be easy to lose touch with reality – with nature – when we’re constantly immersed in television, twitter, and facebook.

Do you remember the scene in Avatar in which Sam first walks outside in his avatar body? He runs barefoot, elated, and his toes kick up dirt. When was the last time you ran barefoot and felt the soil between your toes?

Pandora is not just a fantasy world of unreal beauty. It is a reflection of the beautiful, real world in which we currently live. In fact, those floating mountains were inspired by the Huang Shan Mountains in China. And if you travel deep into the Southern Appalachian Mountains, far away from all artificial lights, you’ll see the blue-green glow of foxfire, a type of bioluminescent fungi that grows on wood.

But it’s not just the physical beauty of Pandora that makes moviegoers wish they were there. It’s the spiritual connection between the people of Pandora and their environment. The Na’vi share the same biological makeup as the other living creatures on their planet. They can even physically connect to some animals and plants through the neural tendrils at the tips of their hair braids. The Na’vi respect each other, all forms of life, and their environment. They recognize that their environment is part of their identity.

Actor Stephen Lang (who plays Colonel Miles Quaritch in the film), commented, “Pandora is a pristine world, and there is the synergy between all of the creatures of the planet, and I think that strikes a deep chord within people. That has a wishfulness and a wistfulness to it.”

“Ever since I went to see Avatar I have been depressed,” wrote a forum user named Mike. “Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na’vi made me want to be one of them. I can’t stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it. I even contemplate suicide, thinking that if I do it, I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora.”

I have a message for you, Mike: You are already living in a world similar to Pandora! No need to off yourself. The beauty of nature is all around you, but you have to make an effort to experience it. You cannot experience the beauty of foxfire by downloading images on firefox. It’s just not the same. You’ve got to get your feet dirty.

Furthermore, we humans are similar to the Na’vi. Okay, so we can’t physically connect with others via neural tendrils, but we have an amazing bundle of nerves in our cranium that allows us to connect with others through empathy, compassion, humor, and love.

I think that the Na’vi show us, as a society, what we might have been like in the past and who we might become in the future. Will we continue to disregard our spiritual connection to our environment? Will we continue to poison our planet and our bodies? Perhaps we will realize that we can have our own Pandora here on Earth by respecting all forms of life – focusing on what we share rather than how we are different – by living with purpose, and by experiencing the beauty all around us.

Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com recently wrote about what he calls the FDA’s “conspiracy of silence to avoid admitting that BPA is dangerous for human health.”

In the article, Adams points out that the FDA has ignored over 100 studies which show that BPA is dangerous. FDA conclusions about the safety of BPA are based on just two studies that were funded by the chemical industry.

“That’s how the FDA operates across the board,” Adams explains. “Ignore all the science you don’t like, and cherry-pick the science you want to believe, even if it’s all been funded by the chemical companies.”

Unfortunately, we Americans are bombarded by dangerous chemicals until they are proven to be dangerous. It seems like chemicals would be banned from use until they are proven safe. However, as Adams points out, such a position would drastically reduce profits for chemical companies.

Thanks to health advocates like Mike Adams, the BPA conspiracy won’t be able to continue for much longer. Too many regular folks are learning about the studies which show that BPA is a dangerous endocrine disruptor associated with cancer, diabetes, developmental problems, and other health problems.

BPA, or bisphenol-A, is a chemical that makes plastics more durable. It can be found in water bottles, baby bottles, aluminum food cans (in the lining), and other food containers, as well as other products like DVDs.

Kelly Wallace from CBS News recently showed that the BPA levels in her blood spiked to five times the average level after she ate a single sandwich made from canned tuna.

Consumer awareness about the dangers of BPA is creating change. For example, many baby bottle manufacturers have stopped using BPA in baby bottles. And many stores now offer BPA-free products.

When it comes to protecting the public from dangerous synthetic chemicals, your choices as a consumer are even more powerful than your choices as a voter. The political process is often slow and cumbersome, but when consumers demand change and speak through their consumer choices, change can occur rapidly.

Here’s how you can help to end the BPA conspiracy:

Stop buying canned food products. Eat fresh food; it’s better for you! You can also buy some products (like marinara sauce) in glass jars instead of cans lined with BPA.

Avoid food that comes in plastic containers. Again, whole foods are better than processed foods. Also, never microwave plastic containers.

Stop drinking bottled water. Plastic water bottles pollute your body and the environment. Instigate change by switching to reusable glass water bottles and stainless steel bottles. (By the Way, Mike Adams recently featured our glass water bottles in his 2010 New Year Health Product Guide!) Avoid aluminum water bottles because they are lined with plastic. For convenient, cost-effective access to healthy, safe water, invest in a home water filter and bottle your own water at home.

Choose glass baby bottles rather than plastic bottles. Even “BPA-free” may be contaminated, and BPA is not the only chemical in plastic. You can buy protective covers for glass baby bottles to keep the glass from breaking.

Replace conventional office water coolers with eco-friendly bottleless water coolers. Bottle-less water coolers provide a never-ending supply of healthy water. By switching to a bottleless office water cooler, you’ll save money and eliminate the need for regular deliveries of plastic water jugs.

Happy New Year! The year 2010 has started with a bang here at AmbrosiaWaterFilters.com.

We’re proud to report that the “Health Ranger” Mike Adams featured our Aquasana glass water bottles in his 2010 New Year’s Health Product Discount Guide at NaturalNews.com.

We’re big fans of Mike Adams here at AmbrosiaWaterFilters.com, and we’re honored that Mike is a fan of our products!

Here’s the description in the NaturalNews.com product guide:

These stylish glass water bottles come in a pack of 6. Each reusable bottle holds 25.4 ounces of water. At only $3.99 each, these Aquasana bottles are a real bargain! Think about it: you pay nearly as much for disposable plastic bottles that pollute your body and the environment. When you invest in reusable glass bottles, you never have to throw them away, and you can rest assured that you’re drinking chemical-free water.

A lot of people think I’m weird when I ask, “Do you have a shower filter?”

Many people don’t realize that chemicals present in tap water vaporize into the air and enter the lungs during a hot shower. Unfortunatley, most tap water is chlorinated. Chlorine is not only a lung and skin irritant, but it creates carcinogens when it combines with other chemicals. Everybody knows that smoking is bad, but most people don’t know that you can inhale carcinogens in your shower, too! Those carcinogens go to your bloodstream, and chlorinated water is associated with an increased risk of several different types of cancer.

Chlorine also dries out the skin and hair, and a shower filter will give you softer skin and hair. And, of course, a shower water filter will make the water cleaner and thus make you cleaner. You’ll even notice that the filtered shower water enhances the lathering of soap.

I’ve been using shower filters for years now, and there’s one thing that I don’t like about them: I don’t like changing filter cartridges. Don’t get me wrong - it’s not difficult to change a filter cartridge - but it’s just a little annoying, especially if the filter has to be replaced every 2 or 3 months.

The Sprite High Output Shower Filter solved my problems. The filter cartridge needs to be replaced only once a year! The high output HOC filter cartridge contains 20 ounces of filtration media (KDF plus Sprite’s proprietary Chlorgon media). It removes free chlorine, combined chlorine (including all those dangerous carcinogens), lead, iron oxide, dirt, sediment, and odors. In my opinion, this shower water filter outperforms all others on the market. That’s not surprising since Sprite has been the leader in shower filtration technology for more than 15 years.

For those of you who have modern, upscale bathroom fixtures, the Sprite Solid Brass High Output Shower Filter offers a touch of elegance to fit your decor. It features all-metal construction with a jeweled finish. Regardless of your personal style, Sprite offers a shower filter that’s right for you.

If you don’t have a shower filter yet, order your Sprite High Output Shower Filter today! You’ll enjoy the benefits from day one.

The New York Times video above explains that Newport, Rhode Island beaches become contaminated with human feces whenever it rains. Signs posted on the beaches warn of bacterial contamination after rainfall.

The problem in Newport - and in many other cities such as Boston, Chicago, and New York - is the outdated sewer systems become overwhelmed by storm water. Whenever it rains, sewage spills out.

In 2009 alone, the city of Newport flushed 70 million gallons of sewage into the harbor.

Nearly 40 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, these water quality problems persist. The Newport waste water treatment plant has been illegally polluting the waterways since the Clean Water Act passed in 1972, yet they have never been fined by the EPA.

In the last 3 years, 9,400 of our country’s 25,000 sewage systems have dumped human waste or other hazardous materials into our waterways. But only 1 in 5 plants that break the law are ever fined.

Your water quality is in your hands. Avoid bacterial contamination with home water filters.