The Water We Drink: Water Quality and Its Effects on Health - Tapa dura

We all drink water and water-based fluids, yet most of us take water for granted. We assume that when we turn on the tap to fill our glass, bathtub or washing machine, clean water will flow. But is it really safe? And if it isn't, what can we do about it? The doctors who have written "The Water We Drink" provide readers with practical information on the health issues relating to water quality and suggest ways we can improve the quality and safety of our drinking water. Most of us don't realize that any small amount of contaminants found in drinking water may, over time, increase our susceptibility to many of the chronic illnesses that are becoming increasingly prevalent in our society as the population ages, such as Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Contaminants have also been linked to increased rates of infertility. "The Water We Drink" begins with a review of the history of water, disease and sanitation. The manner in which drinking water is regulated is described, along with information on water sources and treatment. The authors then examine health issues relating to water, including infectious diseases, cancer risks, oestrogens and fertility, and the effects of mineral and heavy metal content. They look at the benefits and risks of bottled waters and of water purification systems available to consumers. The book also provides understandable lists of contaminants levels in drinking water both regulated and unregulated by law, and the mineral and sodium contents of commonly used bottled waters. A glossary of terms, as well as a bibliography of additional agencies, books and web sites to consult for more information on drinking water and health, are also provided.

Dr. Joshua I. Barzilay is in the division of endocrinology of the Southeast Permanente Medical Group and a faculty member at the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Winkler G. Weinberg is chief of infectious diseases for the Southeast Permanente Medical Group and the author of No Germs Allowed! How to Avoid Infectious Diseases at Home and on the Road (Rutgers University Press). Dr. J. William Eley is an associate professor at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University.