However, just because you do not have a say in how your environment is altered, this does not mean that you have to live with the potential consequences that come with all of those dangers.
The air we breathe and the water we drink is much more dangerous than it was 100 years ago. This is not speculation, this is a fact. The increase in the amount of pollutants in the air and water is the direct result of the actions humans are taking on this planet, and those actions are creating challenges for people who want to live long and healthy lives.
Fortunately, there are some companies that recognize the importance of helping people take back some control over the quality of water and air that their family is exposed to on a daily basis. For example, Wave Home Solutions offers all-in-one filtering and ventilation systems. Sadly, many people do not understand just how vital it is for them to take advantage of these options.
The Gasification of Our Water Supply
Hydraulic fracturing, also known more commonly as fracking, has been used for decades to free natural gas from layers of stone and mine so that is can be used to provide heating for homes and businesses. It sounds like a great idea, but there are two problems with fracking that are affecting your water: chemicals and natural gas.
Fracking uses mostly natural materials such as water and sand to release the gas and bring it to the surface. But there are a small percentage of chemicals used in fracking that get into the area’s water table and contaminate the drinking supply. These chemicals are worse than smoking thousands of cigarettes and they are referred to as “Highly Volatile Organic Compounds” or HVOC. Three of the main chemicals in question are Hexane, Trimethylbenzene and Xylene.
Chemicals of this type are not simply utilized in fracking, and an analysis of their other uses makes it difficult to condone putting them in the ground near drinking water. For example, hexane is used to make glue for roofing, leather products and shoes, and inhalation exposure can impact the central nervous system.
Trimethlybenzene exposure can cause a wide variety of health issues such as chronic bronchitis and vomiting, and it is typically used in auto fuel, solvents, wood stain, paint thinner and dyes. California residents cannot even purchase xylene because this adhesive remover is known to cause cancer (California Proposition 65).
All of the chemicals that are used during fracking have come under heightened scrutiny as a result of the fact that contaminated water can apparently be set on fire. Although it is not guaranteed that every fracking well will contaminate the groundwater, it can definitely happen.
In many instances, that groundwater trickles into local rivers and streams, and this causes the local water supply to become completely contaminated. It is possible that known issues such as this one explain legislation that has been passed to keep fracking out of affluent areas.
The other issue with fracking is the natural gas itself. It would be great if all of the gas that was released went directly into convenient storage tanks and was shipped off to heat our homes. Unfortunately, some of the gas escapes into the local water table and contaminates the groundwater, drinking water wells, and other sources of fresh water. When you see the pictures of people setting wells or streams on fire, this is the result of having gases in the water.
While fracking is essential in allowing us to utilize a plentiful resource like natural gas, it also has its challenges. While not every fracking organization and every fracking well contaminates the nearby drinking supply, it happens often enough that it should be a concern for you and your family.
The Realities of Drinking Contaminated H2O
Whether you get your H2O from a private well or the local municipality, it helps to understand the truth behind drinking water before you can appreciate the urgent need for a professional and comprehensive filtration system in your home. It has become standard for communities all over the world to add chlorine to their drinking water. In the United States, this practice is widespread, and the levels of chlorine in American drinking water tend to be higher than most other countries. Chlorine destroys bacteria and pathogens in water, but it has a side effect that can be dangerous to your health
Chlorine combines with naturally occurring elements in drinking water to create a compound called trihalomethanes. There is nothing that can be done to stop the creation of trihalomethanes as they occur naturally, and a high concentration of chlorine in the drinking water means a higher concentration of trihalomethanes as well.
The EPA has been warning people for years that the levels of trihalomethanes in many public drinking water sources are dangerously high and this can lead to liver problems, nervous system issues and even cancer. A European study showed that men who are exposed to trihalomethanes have an increased risk of bladder cancer.
The presence of chlorine in drinking water has also been linked to increased instances of breast cancer in women. The scariest part of it all is that chlorine is absorbed through the skin and from inhalation; you don’t even have to drink it to be exposed to its dangers. This means each time you drink, cook, brush your teeth, bathe or shower, you are absorbing the chlorine into your body. To put it bluntly, your drinking water could be hazardous to your health.
How Can You Protect Your Family’s Water Supply?
Most people would admit that they are unable to directly change the damage that individuals and businesses are having on the environment. There are activist groups fighting lobbyists and a seemingly endless line of bureaucratic challenges, but they can only help prevent some of the problems. However, this does not mean that you have to expose your family to the hazards that are created by others.
Fortunately, there are many innovative companies and individuals who do have the earth’s best interests in mind. For example, Wave Home Solutions focuses on creating products that enable people to protect their family from our rapidly deteriorating environment. It makes sense to fight these issues in your home because this is where most of your exposure to toxic chemicals will occur. Additionally, your home is the only place that you can exert a lot of control over.
What Is The Solution?
To combat the issues with drinking water quality, many people turn to bottled water or smaller filtration systems. While taking these steps shows plenty of initiative in keeping your family healthy, it does not come close to solving the problem of exposing your family to dangerous drinking water.
Bottled water uses plastic as its primary container. While we would all like to believe that most plastic bottles get recycled, the sad truth is they do not. Countries all over the world utilize bottled water, and a large majority of those bottles find their way into landfills and as garbage floating in our fresh water supply.
Filtration systems that attach to your kitchen faucet or come in the form of pitchers you put in your refrigerator only do part of the job. However, you are also exposed to chlorine and other chemicals from every faucet in your home, so focusing solely on your kitchen faucet will not eliminate all of your potential risks.
The problem with your home’s municipal water source is that you are relying on politicians and failed public policy to determine the health of your family. Maximum contaminant levels that are accepted by municipalities do not mean that those levels are healthy; they just mean that bureaucrats can live with that much pollution.
When these maximum levels are exceeded, it is much easier and cost efficient for politicians to simply raise the allowable levels instead of dealing with removing them from the water supply. It can be a helpless feeling, but you can do something about it. Instead of putting your family at the mercy of bureaucrats and politicians who are not enforcing the clean air and water laws that are on the books, you can install a full house water filtration system that will protect your family at all times.
A full house filtration system reduces your carbon footprint by eliminating your use of plastic bottles. It also saves you money by eliminating the need to buy bottled water, and it protects your family by making certain that all of your home’s water is clean. There are a number of makers out there that have the products to help you get the clean water you need to protect the health of the ones you love, irrespective of your water supply. These companies have solutions for city and well water that won’t break the bank.
Clean Air Is Another Challenge
When it comes to the issues of clean air and clean water, people appear to be equally as concerned about both. It is good that people want to address the problems that come with our polluted environment, but as with the solutions that most people use to address the issue of polluted water, the manner in which many people attempt to get clean air in their homes also falls short.
What If You Do Nothing?
The important thing to understand about being healthy is that the conditions that have been created throughout the world make it difficult to achieve this goal without being proactive. A large majority of people will take the time to change the filters in their furnaces and central air conditioning units, and there are many who will invest in a single air filter for their bedroom. But the reality is that, given the conditions of the air you breathe, these simple solutions are not enough.
If you do not actively work to clean up the air in your home, you are creating a breeding area for bacteria and disease. Stagnant, moist air that is not properly conditioned is the perfect growing conditions for mold, dust mites, and insects that bring disease. If you do nothing about the air in your home, you are exposing your family to a variety of potential hazards. Radon gas, which can seep into your basement through the foundation, gases produced by combustible appliances, carbon monoxide and toxic vapors from cleaning materials are all everyday sources of indoor air pollution that can’t be ignored.
Natural Moisture Is Also a Problem
It is not always the man-made issues that pose threats to your home as naturally occurring conditions can also be a hazard. There is moisture that naturally occurs in your home. It is most prevalent in the basement crawl spaces and attic areas where the air is usually stagnant and thick with moisture. This moisture is the breeding ground for mold, which can lead to asthma and other respiratory ailments.
The World Health Organization estimates that three out of every four people who live in a naturally damp environment are at greater risk for asthma and other respiratory ailments. The worst part is that the air in your home rises from that contaminated basement and crawl space into your living areas, bringing with it mold spores, odors, gases and pollutants.
If this air is not addressed in some way, the moisture will not only affect your health but it will also degrade the structural integrity of the home by causing wood rot, condensation and rust. After a few years, the damage can even be visible with your floor board’s windows, beams and foundation walls.
Ventilation and Air Circulation
Organizations such as the American Lung Association and the EPA all acknowledge that stagnant, moist and unfiltered air can create a situation where diseases are more prevalent. We have expended a lot of attention to tightening up our homes for energy efficiencies but are paying a steeper price by keeping them indoors and breathing them in constantly.
So what are people trying to do to solve these problems? It would be nice to open a window and let the fresh air clean out the atmosphere inside a home, but that is impractical in the winter, during the summer with periods of high humidity and during rainy days. That is why most people turn to other air circulation and treatment solutions.
One of the most popular solutions used to try to combat moisture in the air is to install a dehumidifier in the moist areas of the house. While this can remove some of the moisture, it does not solve the problem of airborne bacteria, gases, pollutants and other environmental issues.
A dehumidifier simply recirculates the same stagnant air that was in the room to begin with. It will remove a portion of the moisture, but it does not address the other issues, and it still leaves a stale, musty odor. Dehumidifiers can also be noisy and difficult to use, and many of them only last a short while before they need to be replaced. Additionally, dehumidifiers are energy guzzlers, and most people are not aware of the actual cost of running them. They consume so much energy that you can spend more than $70 a month just in energy bills to keep them running.
Another problem is the tremendous amount of maintenance those units require. Dehumidifiers have to be emptied repeatedly or you have to build a drain area for them to discharge the water. If you don’t empty the water, they become a breeding ground for bacteria.
Air filtration systems need to have their filters emptied. If the filter clogs up, you are no longer getting the positive effects of the filtration unit, and it is essentially just wasting energy as it runs. There are better solutions and ways for you to get the comprehensive protection you need for your family without having to go through all of the steps required by inadequate water and air treatment and filtration systems.
The Solution Is A System That Protects Your Whole Home
Just like the solution to your clean water issues is a comprehensive filtration system that perpetually cleans the water in your entire home, the solution to your indoor air quality issues is a system that addresses the most problematic air mass and by doing so benefiting the entire house. It is also important to use a solution that keeps its energy usage down so that your energy bills will be as low as possible.
There are many reputable companies that offer complete home systems that filter water and air to make them safer for your home. Recognizable names such as Culligan and Pelican have systems that remove many of the contaminants that are found in drinking water, while Lennox can offer you a solution to filter your air.
The problem is that these companies often do not offer solutions for both, and they do not focus on the operational costs of their systems. WAVE Home Solutions offers comprehensive whole house solutions, and there is a significant focus on making sure that utilizing WAVE products does not put a huge dent in your energy bills.
Continuous Mechanical Ventilation
Instead of recirculating bad air inside your home, a WAVE Ventilation system will expel bad, moist air as well as the pollutants and gases that naturally build up. All of these unwanted elements are then expelled in their entirety out of the house to keep clean air flowing throughout your home.
The WAVE systems also have sensors that will keep a close eye on the level of moisture throughout your home, and they automatically adjust the rate of ventilation to make sure that those levels are always safe and conducive to good health and home maintenance.
The WAVE Ventilation system is easily installed in a basement, crawl space or on the ground level of a slab home, and it expels the moist, polluted air directly to the outside. It then continuously brings down the drier, healthier air from upstairs through a vent to prevent any stagnation.
This process is called continuous mechanical ventilation, and it is one of the elements of a Wave system that makes it unique in the air treatment industry. ASHRAE, which is the technical body that develops and maintains ventilation standards for the United States, recommends whole house air exchange throughout the day in order to maintain healthy living conditions.
A WAVE Ventilation system can create 6 to ten whole house air exchanges a day. That means that you actually can bring in the fresher air from outside into your home, replenishing the entire house, several times a day.
Energy Efficiency Is a Part of the Process
The U.S. Department of Energy conducted a study that compared continuous mechanical ventilation to the natural circulation processes in crawl spaces. They also took a look at how continuous mechanical ventilation affects the entire cost of running the heating and cooling systems for the whole house, and the results were very interesting.
It requires more energy to heat or cool moist air than it does drier air. In a controlled particular study, the Department of Energy found that mechanical exhaust and replenishment systems like the WAVE system lowered the overall energy costs of the HVAC systems around 17 percent and were effective in keeping the relative humidity at 60 percent.
This does not take into account the cost savings of utilizing a single, energy-efficient unit versus scattering dehumidifiers throughout your home. While that particular study did not analyze the positive results of expelling contaminants, these systems have been independently tested to reduce radon, although it is not promoted as a radon mitigation device. The end result is that it is much more energy efficient to use the Wave system than any other type of air dehumidification system available.
Look Into A WAVE Solution
Phil Konigsberg, the president of WAVE Home Solutions stated, “People don’t always pay attention to the fact that certain ailments they have may be due to their indoor everyday environment. It is extremely important to make sure that the two most important things we need to live, air and water, are contributing to our well-being, not detracting from it.” It makes a lot of sense to take pride in the care of your home and family, and part of that care is being proactive in creating a clean living environment.
The WAVE Ventilation solution requires no maintenance, and to be fair, there are many competing solutions and technologies on the market. But, of utmost importance, you will be creating a safe environment for you and your children and have confidence in the food you feed them and the water they drink and use to bathe themselves Do your research and make calls. Talk to contractors in your local area. Read up on the issues with deteriorating quality of our indoor water and air. Know the background of city water in your area.
You can choose to ignore the fact that your air and water are not clean or the healthiest they can be or you can take action and talk to a professional organization about putting an end to unclean air and polluted water. You may not be able to tell a multi-billion dollar corporation to follow the environmental safety laws, but you can affect what happens in your own home. With a WAVE Home or competing system you can determine how healthy your family will be, regardless of what the rest of the world may be doing to the environment.
