Shower Water Filter

Effective in removing chlorine and other volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), shower water filters protect you from absorbing contaminants through your skin while bathing. While many people filter the water they drink and use for cooking, they often overlook the importance of protecting themselves in the shower. Chlorine, which is used almost universally in the treatment of public water supplies, is not only absorbed through the skin but is also inhaled when in a hot shower. There is growing evidence that chlorine may actually pose serious health risks when it is absorbed or ingested over a long period of time. Studies have linked the element and its byproducts to cancer of the bladder, liver, stomach, rectum and colon, as well as heart disease, atherosclerosis, anemia, high blood pressure and allergic reactions. There is also evidence that chlorine can destroy protein in our body and cause adverse effects on skin and hair. The presence of chlorine in water may also contribute to the formation of chloramines, which can cause taste and odor problems. Since it is required chlorine be present in all public drinking water supplies, it is up to each individual to remove it at the point-of-use in the home. In addition to the adverse effects of chlorine, numerous technical studies have shown that higher doses of VOC's are absorbed through the skin while bathing/showering than are absorbed drinking the same water. The source of the daily dose of organic chemicals from water is about 15 percent from drinking and 85 percent from bath/shower. The American Journal of Public Health, Vol.74, No. 5, reports that skin absorption contributes an average of 64 percent of the daily dose of dangerous compounds from chlorinated household water. Children face up to 91 percent skin absorption factor. Studies by the Center for Environmental Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh indicate that at normal shower temperatures about 50 percent of the dissolved chloroform (A carcinogenic chlorinated volatile organic chemical) escapes into the air before the water even reaches the floor. The remaining 50 percent is absorbed through the skin. This results in an exposure 600 percent higher than that from the daily dose of drinking water. Home Page | FAQs | Glossary | Contact Us