What Is Personal Care?

Personal care is simply the things you can do to yourself on a regular basis that will improve your health and the way you look to others.   This also includes products, beautification, and personal hygiene.  Some examples of processes that many people would consider personal care include:

Bathroom Care

• Washing Hands Appropriately
• Tooth Brushing
• Flossing Teeth
• Mouth Washing
• Scrubbing Your Skin Or Bathing
• Eyebrow Maintenance
• Personal Grooming
• Healthy Nail Care
• Use Of Antiperspirants
• Corns And Calluses Removal

Personal Heath

• Various Exercises
• Regular Nutritional Intake
• Disinfection
• Safe disposal
• Proper bandaging
• Use of protective clothing and gear
• Sterilization of instruments
• Isolation or quarantine of infectious persons or materials

Personal Care Around Others

• Use of Antibacterials or Hand Sanitizers
• Correct respiratory and hand hygiene when coughing and sneezing

Care For Personal Foods

• Prevent contaminating food
• Separate raw and cooked foods
• Cook foods for the appropriate length of time
• Store food at the proper temperature
• Use safe water and raw materials

Personal Care Around The House

• Appropriate Laundry Hygiene
• Regular Disinfection
• Appropriate Air Purification
• Safe Garbage Removal
• Pleasant Noise And Sound Levels

Physical Mobility Care

• Regular Long Distance Running
• Balance Exercises and Biking
• Swimming And Aquatic Movement
• Frequent Skiing, Snowboarding, And Other Mobility Using Gravity
• Improve Walking On Natural Surfaces With Bare Feet
• Appropriate Hydration During Mobility
• Ability To Run And Move Quickly For A Short Time
• Frequent Climbing Using Both Hands And Feet

There are personal care assistants who may be able to help get you started but I believe it is optimal to complete your personal care yourself thus helping to put your own investment in improving your health.

How Personal Care Improves Health

When you improve your personal care you are less likely to become sick, you lower your risk of infection, and over time the preventative things you are doing will pay off over the rest of your life.  Even things like scrubbing your skin in the morning will help the look of your skin and you ability for your skin to work easily in the morning for overall body cooling and sweating.  When you are completing your personal care, try to remember to do things that are also “preventative care” as well.

Personal Care During Stress

It may be hard to keep up your personal care during a stressful event but do it for yourself.  If you have been through the loss of a loved one, grief, divorce, or a parental child abduction it is important to continue with your personal care and help show your children or other people around you ways they can improve their care during this stressful time as well.

Have fun with it, and let me know how it is working by leaving your comments here or by SMS and Voice at (802)445-5626

Myla Hillman With Father Gregory Hillman After Completing Some Personal Care

Lower Sinus Infection Cure

The way to know if you have a sinus infection is if the stuff coming from your nose has color.  Could be yellow, orange, even green but there will be color instead of clear and then you will start to feel sinus pressure in your face along with a lower energy level.  I use this irrigation technique even when I do not have a sinus infection just to keep my sinuses in top condition but only every few weeks or months.  It also works to remove allergies and any congestion.

I visited a doctor in Seattle that helped me understand the benefits of sinus irrigation.  This technique is very simple, inexpensive, and it has worked for me 100% of the time to completely cure a sinus infection.  No need for doctors, antibiotics, insurance companies, or driving to the pharmacy.

Sinus Irrigation Procedure

1) Fill a microwave safe container with about 2 cups of water.  Spoon one or two teaspoons of baking soda and salt and make a solution to microwave for about 40 seconds.  The heater water will help drain the sinuses.  You could also heat the filtered water in a kettle and then pour it over the salt and NaHCO_3.

2) Blow your nose and clear your throat of anything that you can.  This will help allow the water to reach your sinuses.

3) Use an ear squirting device (normally blue with a bulb on one end) to squirt the water into each nostril and allow to drain.  You may sneeze and there should be mucus that will come from the nose.  Repeat this about 3-5 times in each nostril until you can breath through your nose at least a little.

Sinus Tools

4)  Now the slightly strange part.  Spray the water into each nostril but this time breath the water through your sinuses and out through your mouth.  I suggest doing this in a shower or at least over a sink because it may get messy.

5)  Use any solution left to gargle for about 30 seconds with your head lifted back.  This will also help clear excess mucus and other gunk.

Repeat this process when ever you want your sinuses to be clear and your infection should go away in a few days.  You will find relief right away but you may want to repeat this process a few times a day for 3 days until the problem is completely behind you.

If you try it and it does not work for you please leave your comments here and we will continue to improve the procedure so it will work for everyone.  So far everyone that has tried has cured their infection.  I have been using this process for many years and I have had almost no major problem with my sinuses since starting.

Caution – Spreading New Problems

Ocean, Sea Mist Brand

Nasil spray like Ocean Sea Mist suggest that you do not touch the tip to the nose.  This could be due to the spread of new problems:

“Try not to touch the container tip to the inside of your nose. If this happens, rinse the tip with hot water and dry with a clean tissue before recapping the container.”

Sinus Steaming

Sometimes you may have some inner ear pressure at the same time your sinuses are infected.  This can cause pain and sometimes an ear infection.  This steaming procedure works great and again it is totally free.

If you hear clicking in your ear or if you have pressure:

1) Fill a pan or bowl with 6 or more cups of boiling water on a table in front of you.

2) Drop a few drops of essential oil or rosemary into the water to make it more comfortable.

3) Place a large beach towel or small blanket over your head and breath through you nose and out through your mouth for about 15 minutes.

If the water or steam is too hot just move your head a little away until you can bring it closer.  Repeat a few times a day and try to clear you sinuses when they start to drain.  Did it work?

Other Sinus Options

Some people are certain that they need to take antihistamines, pain killers, decongestants, and other drugs to help with a sinus problem.  My opinion is that it really depends on the severity of the sinus congestion.  When I was younger, every medical professional I saw would immediately prescribe antibiotics if there was any color to the mucus.  We now know that misuse, resistance, and many other side effects make antibiotics a less than perfect choice to treat the usual sinus infection.  Also, many of the other over-the-counter drugs that say they can help with sinus problems have a variety of negative long-term side effects.  Normally if the irrigation has not completely worked in a few days or if I just can’t stop the pain I will use an over-the-counter drug to help me sleep or to reduce pain and swelling but this happens in only about 10% of my infections.

Humidification

One non-intrusive way to help with sinus pressure is with a humidifier.  You can use code “usduovg” on diapers.com for 20% a humidifier that will use filtered water (RO water, distilled water) and a little electricity.  The humidification seems to help keep the sinuses from becoming too dry and works very well after an irrigation session or while you sleep.

Other Concerns

One person has mentioned that they experienced some fluid in their ear after spraying water in their nose however this has not been experienced by most people but if you have any problems or concerns with this technique please leave your comments here!

Baby Water TDS Test

The TDS of this baby water was shown to be 103 ppm with a temperature of 79.7 F.  On the bottle it mentions that the baby water contains calcium (Ca²⁺), and magnesium (Mg²⁺) which may account for the additional TDS.

Baby Water TDS ppm & Temperature Test

Baby Water EC Test

This EC test shows 196 with a temp of 79.7 F.  This may also be due to the additional minerals added to the water.

Baby Water EC & Temp Test

Baby Water pH Test

This is the pH test on the baby water was consistent at 7.85 with a temp of 79.8:

Baby Water pH & Temp Test

Would I drink this water?

Even though bottled water does cost more than filtered water it is not directly measured by the EPA and any water that sits in a recyclable plastic container is said to absorb the chemicals from the container.  You can even smell the “plastic” in the water if the plastic bottle sits out in the sun or a hot car for a day or two.

I would drink this water in emergencies but I would much rather drink filtered water from my RO system which shows a TDS of around 5.  The EPA does mention “Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome.”  The EPA also makes note about, ”

.”

This is the label from the bottle used to complete the test.  It was picked because it seems to have the characteristics of the “average” baby water:

Baby Water Test - Gerber Pure

EPA on Bottled Water:

http://safewater.supportportal.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=23015

“Is bottled water safer than tap water?

Bottled water is not necessarily safer than your tap water. EPA sets standards for tap water provided by public water systems; the Food and Drug Administration sets bottled water standards based on EPA’s tap water standards. Bottled water and tap water are both safe to drink if they meet these standards, although people with severely compromised immune systems and children may have special needs. Some bottled water is treated more than tap water, while some is treated less or not treated at all. Bottled water costs much more than tap water on a per gallon basis. Bottled water is valuable in emergency situations (such as floods and earthquakes), and high quality bottled water may be a desirable option for people with weakened immune systems. Consumers who choose to purchase bottled water should carefully read its label to understand what they are buying, whether it is a better taste, or a certain method of treatment. More information on bottled water is available from the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) (www.bottledwater.org/), which represents most US bottlers.”

More information about the EPA Standards can be found here:

http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm#List

”

Notes

¹ Definitions: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) – The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety and are non-enforceable public health goals. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) – The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology and taking cost into consideration. MCLs are enforceable standards. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) – The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. Treatment Technique – A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) – The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

² Units are in milligrams per liter (mg/L) unless otherwise noted. Milligrams per liter are equivalent to parts per million.

³ EPA’s surface water treatment rules require systems using surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water to (1) disinfect their water, and (2) filter their water or meet criteria for avoiding filtration so that the following contaminants are controlled at the following levels:

• Cryptosporidium: Unfiltered systems are required to include Cryptosporidium in their existing watershed control provisions.
• Giardia lamblia: 99.9% removal/inactivation
• Viruses: 99.99% removal/inactivation
• Legionella: No limit, but EPA believes that if Giardia and viruses are removed/inactivated, according to the treatment techniques in the Surface Water Treatment Rule, Legionella will also be controlled.
• Turbidity: For systems that use conventional or direct filtration, at not time can turbidity (cloudiness of water) go higher than 1 nephelolometric turbidity unit NTU), and samples for turbidity must be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU in at least 95 pervent of the samples in any month. Systems that use filtration other than the conventional or direct filtration must follow state limits, which must include turbidity at no time exceeding 5 NTU.
• HPC: No more than 500 bacterial colonies per milliliter.
• Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment: Surface water systems or (GWUDI) systems serving fewer than 10,000 people must comply with the applicable Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule provisions (e.g. turbidity standards, individual filter monitoring, Cryptosporidium removal requirements, updated watershed control requirements for unfiltered systems).
• Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule This rule applies to all surface water systems or ground water systems under the direct influence of surface water. The rule targets additional Cryptosporidium treatment requirements for higher risk systems and includes provisions to reduce risks from uncovered finished water storage facilities and to ensure that the systems maintain microbial protection as they take steps to reduce the formation of disinfection byproducts.
• Filter Backwash Recycling; The Filter Backwash Recycling Rule requires systems that recycle to return specific recycle flows through all processes of the system’s existing conventional or direct filtration system or at an alternate location approved by the state.

⁴ No more than 5.0% samples total coliform-positive in a month. (For water systems that collect fewer than 40 routine samples per month, no more than one sample can be total coliform-positive per month.) Every sample that has total coliform must be analyzed for either fecal coliforms or E. coli if two consecutive TC-positive samples, and one is also positive for E.coli fecal coliforms, system has an acute MCL violation.

⁵ Fecal coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Disease-causing microbes (pathogens) in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. These pathogens may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

⁶ Although there is no collective MCLG for this contaminant group, there are individual MCLGs for some of the individual contaminants:

• Trihalomethanes: bromodichloromethane (zero); bromoform (zero); dibromochloromethane (0.06 mg/L): chloroform (0.07mg/L).
• Haloacetic acids: dichloroacetic acid (zero); trichloroacetic acid (0.02 mg/L); monochloroacetic acid (0.07 mg/L). Bromoacetic acid and dibromoacetic acid are regulated with this group but have no MCLGs.

⁷ Lead and copper are regulated by a Treatment Technique that requires systems to control the corrosiveness of their water. If more than 10% of tap water samples exceed the action level, water systems must take additional steps. For copper, the action level is 1.3 mg/L, and for lead is 0.015 mg/L.

⁸ Each water system must certify, in writing, to the state (using third-party or manufacturer’s certification) that when acrylamide and epichlorohydrin are used to treat water, the combination (or product) of dose and monomer level does not exceed the levels specified, as follows:

• Acrylamide = 0.05% dosed at 1 mg/L (or equivalent)
• Epichlorohydrin = 0.01% dosed at 20 mg/L (or equivalent)

National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations

National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (NSDWRs or secondary standards) are non-enforceable guidelines regulating contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color) in drinking water. EPA recommends secondary standards to water systems but does not require systems to comply. However, states may choose to adopt them as enforceable standards.

• National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations - The complete regulations regarding these contaminants available from the Code of Federal Regulations Web Site.
• For more information, read Secondary Drinking Water Regulations: Guidance for Nuisance Chemicals.

Test Administration

This test was administered on October 8, 2010 in Los Angeles, California using a Hanna instrument.  The instrument was not cleaned with distilled water and it was not administered by a water testing professional.

This image shows the starting TDS of the tap water.  Normally the RO filter will filter a very high TDS of 500+ down to 5-20 ppm.  This tap water shows 236 TDS ppm in Los Angeles California which happens to be a lower TDS than usual.

Los Angeles Tap TDS ppm

This image shows the TDS of the water after going through the Reverse Osmosis filter that I believe needs to be replaced.  It does show a significantly lower TDS than just tap water but it is still much higher than the consistent reading.  The filter used was a 5 stage filter including carbon filters and an RO membrane.  It has been used on community water for over seven months with the same cartridges.  Some RO filter companies claim their filters last from 6 months to 3 years depending on the environment you are in:

Replacement TDS ppm

As an added bonus this is the TDS of the filtered water after being boiled in a metal container.  My guess is that some of the metal from the container chips off in the water each time raising the TDS.  I have consistently shown this type of activity after boiling and you can also note the temperature of 140 F:

Replacement RO Filter Needed After Boiling Water TDS ppm

Would I drink this water?

I would much rather have the filters replaced before drinking the water but in an emergency I would drink it.  It meets all the EPA’s secondary drinking water standards that I tested it for but it does taste horribly different than the water when the filters are working correctly.  In an emergency I would drink the filtered water first with the lower TDS.  I did in fact drink the water that needs a replacement RO filter and I am still alive days later with no noticeable side effects. 

People keep asking me if a carbon block or just a general carbon filter will really help the quality of tap water.  My answer up until this point was that I do not know.  I do know and prove every day that the water from my RO filter produces a better taste and clarity of the water and I can see the TDS go down to 3-30 ppm after the filtration.  I was not sure about the ability of the Carbon Block to remove dissolved solids, normalize the pH, or change the ECs.  Carbon filters are similar to common “Britta” or “Pur” filters you might find in a local store or supermarket.

Carbon Block Opinion On Chlorine

Some people have said that the carbon block will remove Chlorine but it also turns into a gas so any filtration or evaporation will help remove it. Also I have not found a location where the amount of Chlorine out of a tap is greater than the EPA’s secondary drinking water standard so I have not had a burning* need to remove it.

Test Administration

This test was administered in a residential area near the 405 and 101 in Los Angeles Southern California.  Please note that these are only my opinions, I am not a professional water tester, and I can not say weather or not water is “safe” to drink.  The test took around 10 minutes to complete which may be one reason for the reduction in temperature from tap water, carbon block, and RO.

This test was conducted with a Hanna HI 98129 tester in room temperature with many distractions.  Three separate drinking glasses were used.  The pH changes very slowly so it may not be completely accurate on each test.  The water was swirled  with the tester a few times during each test to help.

Tap water in this test is assumed to be the constant however tap water changes greatly depending on your location, local pipes, and many other factors.  This tap was was taken on August 13, 2010.

Tap Water Results:

pH: 8.26

EC: 348 μS

Temp: 81.7 F°

TDS: 171 ppm

Carbon Block Results:

pH: 7.99

EC: 310 μS

Temp: 78.1 F°

TDS: 155 ppm

Reverse Osmosis Results:

pH: 7.42

EC: 37 μS

Temp: 78.1 F°

TDS: 18 ppm

Water Filter Test Interpretation:

Carbon filters may reduce some dissolved solids in tap water from this area but it is not very significant.  It might be possible that carbon block or pellet filters may help to greatly reduce dissolved solids in water that does not meet the secondary standard (TDS 500+) in an effort to make the water a higher quality based upon the EPA’s secondary drinking standards however this was not tested.  I would personally prefer to drink the water from the RO filter in this test but all of the water in this case does meet the EPA’s secondary standards for the items tested.

Really the only significant change in water quality that I can see here is after the water has been put through a Reverse Osmosis filter.  If you need help finding a filter or have any questions please leave them on this page.

I am not a medical professional and I can not offer medical advise but these are some things that I believe have helped me remove wax after over 20 years of visiting the doctor a few times a year for wax removal.  I now have relieved of problems with earwax and do not need a medical professional’s help for most of my ear concerns.

Caution When Using H2O2

An audiologist friend of mine warns anyone of using H2O2 in your ear because it can eat away at healthy tissue.  She suggests garlic and olive oil during the night and a flush of bulb water in the morning.  This technique has never worked for me to date but it may work for you.  I believe H2O2 should be a last resort after using filtered water in a bulb first and other methods of earwax removal.  I also believe H2O2 will hurt human tissues.

Caution When Using Ear Picks

I do not suggest using ear picks because it is too easy to scrape skin or hurt your ear drum.  Japanese bamboo ear picks, down tipped ear picks, and even the softest brush has irritated my ears in the past.

Symptoms Of Earwax Buildup

The first signs of earwax buildup are normally that you have slight hearing loss in your ear, that you notice pressure, or a “slushy” feeling when your ear moves.  Do not mistake earwax buildup for water in your ear.  I have written more about getting water out of your ear on this site here:

http://www.gregoryhillman.org/2009/08/13/how-to-get-water-out-of-your-ear/

Just because you have some earwax buildup does not mean that you need to treat your buildup.  Earwax will normally dry up and fall out with out any additional help.  One thing I have found that will hurt the process of natural removal is pushing the wax further in your ear with a q-tip or your finger.  This just moves the wax in your ear further but it can still normally be removed with this treatment.

Treatments of Earwax Buildup

If your wax is causing a problem and does not fall out normally, you could have buildup in just one ear or in both ears.  I have found that only treating the ear that has the earwax buildup is necessary.

First, use water with your syringe or bulb.  Water may be all that is needed with some light pressure to remove the wax.  I use water with a very low TDS that has been put through a Reverse Osmosis membrane so it contains less extra materials.

Earwax Removal Syringe Bulb

If the purified water with some pressure from the bulb does not work, I normally use about 1/2 a cap full of H2O2.

Lay down on your side with a white towel under your head so the light bleaching agent does not bleach any materials under your head.  H2O2 (Hydrogen peroxide) will make spots in dark clothing, towels, and rugs.

Pour about 1/2 to 1 cap full in the effected ear while laying on your side.  You should be able to hear the bubbles easily with wax in your ear and fresh H2O2.  You may also see bubbled up wax coming out of your ear during this process.  After about 3-10 minutes the bubbles will stop and you can pour the wax and excess H2O2 in your sink or shower.

Then take your earwax removal bulb and spray warm (98.4±0.7 °F or slightly warmer) water in your ear with some light pressure.  This should help remove any extra wax.

Be sure to put the cap back on your H2O2 right away otherwise it will loose the ability to work correctly.  Also, be sure to replace your H2O2 if it is old or does not work any longer.  I do not use H2O2 unless it is completely necessary because there may be other side effects from this weak base.  I use about 3% H2O2 and additional purified water to make it more diluted.

If you have a more significant buildup you may need to repeat the H2O2 process with the bulb a few times or once a day for a few days.

H2O2 For Earwax Buildup

If the wax is not gone and your hearing is back to normal with no evidence of wax you may need to visit a medical professional for a much stronger syringe.  Some professionals have much larger devices that will spray at a higher level but not so height it will rupture your ear drum.  Be careful though because a doctor or nurse could rupture the drum with this high pressure device.

Normally I have seen tap water have slightly lower TDS and EC readings such as around 240 ppm for TDS near UCLA or 400 ppm or less TDS near the harbor area.  These readings do meet the EPA secondary maximum standards.

Is water important?

Many of the food providers including pizza places and fast food locations are using this tap water for drinking, beverages, and other food related purposes as well so it is good to know where the water comes from that you are taking into your system.  I suggest at least finding out what type of filtration they use before consuming the water.

Water Testing Cost

I own the meter so this test only costs a few minutes of the battery life and the time it takes to read it.  Testing can be done to any water with this meter from Hanna including lake water, sea water, tap water, brackish water, and filtered water.  It includes EC, TDS, and pH with Temp.

405 Los Angeles Water Testing

I am not a professional water tester and I can not say if water is safe or not to drink.  Also, I was only able to do three tests and there are many other tests that can be done to determine water quality.  These are the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels from the EPA:

You can also read more about EC and water quality on this site.

This first test shows a 8.41 pH of the tap water:

405 Los Angeles pH 8.41 Water Quality

This second test shows a TDS of 472 ppm in the tap Water

405 Los Angeles TDS 472 ppm Tap Water

The third EC test shows 946:

405 Los Angeles Water EC of 946!

Would I drink this water?

I hope not.  The EC shows much more salts than normal in the water.  The TDS show much harder water than I would suggest drinking since we do not know what materials are in the water.  The pH is much to high as well and the test is just a little under the EPA secondary maximum contaminant levels.

I would try to filter this water and only drink it if I was suffering from dehydration.  I would want to at least put it through an RO filter but a carbon block or even a fine screen or paper filtration would improve the quality.

The TDS of this water is considerably lower than many other parts of Los Angeles that have been tested.  Some of highest TDS areas that have been tested are near the 405 freeway and very close (with in a block) of the ocean including Long Beach, Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina del Rey (400+ TDS).

This test was taken before March in 2010.

I am not a professional water quality tester and I can not say weather or not water is safe to drink.  I do hope this information helps.

Westwood Village Medical Center Water TDS in PPM

The pH of water is 7. The EPA suggests secondary maximum contaminant levels of pH be at least between 6.5 – 8.5

The test done at a similar time shows a pH of 7.55 which again is better than many other areas of Los Angeles that have recently been tested.  West Los Angeles can be as high as 8.65 or greater from tap water.

EPA physical test:

low pH: bitter metallic taste; corrosion

high pH: slippery feel; soda taste; deposits

Westwood Village UCLA Water pH

Electrical conductivity (EC) estimates the amount of total dissolved salts. Most information that I have seen shows that high quality water is under 500 σ. I have personally seen better ECs in water from mountain rain puddles in Topanga with ECs below 200 but most of the water tested in LA has been over 400 σ.  The EC at this UCLA medical center shows 398 σ.  This test was also conducted at the same time from the same tap water at a UCLA medical center.

Westwood Village water EC Temp UCLA medical

Would I drink this water?

Yes, but only if I needed to to stay hydrated and there was no filtration available because of the higher EC and TDS. I would much rather drink water that has been treated with distillation, RO, or another method that will lower the salt / nitrates / viruses / metals, and other hard unknown materials.

The EPA suggests these 2nd maximum levels here:

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/consumer/2ndstandards.html

Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html

Iron Health Concerns

It has also been mentioned that people with heterozygous for a hemochromatosis mutation (body not able to absorb Iron like others) may need to stay away from water containing Iron. For most people it may just have an unpleasant metallic taste, rusty color, and may be an indication that your pipes are deteriorating. You also may have high iron from a private well.

I have consistently read that everyone including pregnant women and children need iron in reasonable levels but this is normally found in breast milk, prenatal vitamins, and other typical foods.

Removing Iron

If you have too much iron and want it removed from your drinking water reverse osmosis may be one of the most cost effective ways.  Water softeners have also been mentioned as a way of removing iron but I have not been able to test this to date.

Iron Water Test

I have completed an Iron water test in Los Angeles California that shows very low levels of Iron in the tap water.  The test only takes a few minutes and then will show a reading.  As seen in this photo below the Iron level is well below 0.3 ppm.

You can also order water and have it tested as well:

Iron Water Test Los Angeles

Would I Drink This Water?

Yes, I would drink this water because I have also done many other tests on it and the iron level is well below the EPA secondary standard.  I also believe that my body can process Iron and it appears that low levels of Iron in drinking water should not cause a health concern.  I am not a water professional and I can not say if it is safe or unsafe for sure but I would suggest putting this water through a reverse osmosis machine so that it smells, tastes, and looks better!

Iron

Symbol: Fe
Latin: ferrum
Atomic Number: 26

Silver Lake Research mentions that high levels of copper may cause gastrointestinal distress so today I tested the tap water in Marina del Rey Los Angeles California.

The test took a few minutes to administer and was completed with a strip in some tap water.  After two minutes you can see the results.  The EPA states copper levels should be below 1.3 ppm.

Would I drink this water?

Yes, the copper level does show less than 1.3 ppm as seen in this photo and I have tested the water for a variety of other concerns.  The test may show about 0.7 ppm or less.  The water tastes good!

*Please note I am not an expert or professional water tester and I can not say if water is safe or unsafe to drink.  No test can.

The CDC has some information on Copper that is easy to understand such as:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/healthywater/factsheets/copper.htm

“All living organisms including humans need copper to survive; therefore a trace of copper in our diet is necessary for good health.  However, some forms of copper can also harm you.”

“Corrosion of pipes is by far the greatest cause for concern.”

“Drinking water with high levels of copper for many years could cause liver or kidney damage.”

This test supplies were from Silver Lake Research:

Copper Water Test in Los Angeles

Copper.org offers some current information:

http://www.copper.org/consumers/copperhome/Env_Health/environmentandhealth_drinkingwater.html

“How much is too much copper in water and food?

The NASFNB recommends that you not consume more than 10 mg/day to be safe. The NASFNB has determined that most men, women and children consume less than 1.6 mg/day.”

http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/fact_sheets/copper_in_drinking_water.htm

“In Washington, most copper in drinking water comes from corrosion of household plumbing.   Public water supplies are required to conduct treatment to reduce corrosion when more than 10 percent of the tap water samples exceed 1.3 parts per million (ppm) of copper.

Copper from plumbing corrosion can accumulate overnight.  Flushing the water from the tap for 30 to 45 seconds can reduce the copper that can accumulate when the household plumbing is not in use.”

The DOH also mentions this about the amount of copper that is safe.

http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/fact_sheets/copper_in_drinking_water.htm

“Copper is an essential mineral in the diet.  Too much copper, however, can cause health problems.  Major food sources of copper are shellfish, nuts, grains, leafy vegetables, and stone fruits. Typical sources of copper from food range from less than 2 milligrams (mg.) to 5 mg. per day.

Health studies have found that copper in drinking water can add 4 to 45 percent more copper to a person’s diet than what is in food sources.”