Is Tap Water Safe to Drink

Tap water is not without its problems. Over the years we have witnessed major cases of groundwater contamination leading to unhealthy tap water, with chemical culprits like  hexavalent chromium, perchlorate, and Atrazine. More recently, the Michigan city of Flint has been struggling with high lead levels in its drinking water. EPA Has Failed to Establish Standards for Many Contaminants The nonprofit  Environmental Working Group (EWG)  tested municipal water in 42 states and detected some  260 contaminants in public water supplies. Of those, 141 were unregulated chemicals for which public health officials have no safety standards, much less methods for removing them.  EWG did find over 90 percent compliance by water utilities in applying and enforcing standards that exist, but faulted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to establish standards on so many of the contaminants—from industry, agriculture, and urban runoff—that do end up in our water. Tap Water vs Bottled Water Despite these seemingly alarming stats, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which has also conducted extensive tests on municipal water supplies as well as bottled water, says: â€Å"In the short term, if you are an adult with no special health conditions, and you are not pregnant, then you can drink most cities’ tap water without having to worry.† This is because most of the contaminants in public water supplies exist at such small concentrations that most people would have to ingest very large quantities for health problems to occur.   In addition, look at your water bottles carefully. Its common for them to list the source as municipal, which means you paid for what essentially is bottled tap water. What Are the Health Risks of Tap Water? NRDC does caution, however, that â€Å"pregnant women, young children, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses and those with weakened immune systems can be especially vulnerable to the risks posed by contaminated water.† The group suggests that anyone who may be at risk obtain a copy of their city’s annual water quality report (they are mandated by law) and review it with their physician. What Are the Health Risks of Bottled Water? As for bottled water, 25 to 30 percent of it comes straight from municipal tap water systems, despite the pretty nature scenes on the bottles that imply otherwise. Some of that water goes through additional filtering, but some does not. NRDC has researched bottled water extensively and has found that it is â€Å"subject to less rigorous testing and purity standards than those which apply to city tap water.† Bottled water is required to be tested less frequently than tap water for bacteria and chemical contaminants, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration bottled water rules allow for some contamination by E. coli or fecal coliform, contrary to EPA tap water rules that prohibit any such contamination. Similarly, NRDC found that there are no requirements for bottled water to be disinfected or tested for parasites such as cryptosporidium or giardia, unlike more stringent EPA rules regulating tap water. This leaves open the possibility, says NRDC, that some bottled water may present similar health threats to those with weakened immune systems, the elderly, and others they caution about drinking tap water. Make Tap Water Safe for Everyone The bottom line is that we have invested considerably in highly efficient municipal water delivery systems that bring this precious liquid straight to our kitchen faucets any time we need it. Instead of taking that for granted and relying on bottled water instead, we need to make sure our tap water is clean and safe for all.

The Black Report - 1284 Words

The Black Report There are considerable health inequalities amongst Britain’s social classes. Health is formed by socio-economic, political and environmental factors; these elements shape inequalities and influence the health of various social groups in Britain. Health inequalities is the term used to describe the consistent recurring differences of the health complaints involving the social classes of Britain. These differences were first highlighted by Sir Douglas Black in a research study called The Black Report. The reason for The Black Report was to find information about the problems with health variations among the social classes. In 1977 under a Labour Government, the Secretary of State for social services†¦show more content†¦In relation to this, Lobstein (1995) established that deprived areas had poor diets because healthy food tended to more expensive in poorer communities than in the well-off ones (Holborn, Burrage and Langley, 2009) It is understood that manual workers e ndure more work related injuries than non-manual workers. Recent studies to support this claim come from Clapp et al (2005) who indicate that a probable 12ï€ ¥ of cancer deaths are workplace related, also, Meldrumm (2005) found that working conditions cause up to 20ï€ ¥ of lung cancer deaths (Holborn, Burrage and Langley, 2009). Social Capital explains health inequalities in various ways, including unexpected disadvantages. This can be supported by Shaw et al (1999) who found that if difficulties occur at important times of life it can result in health inadequacies; for example, lack of nutrients as a child (Holborn, Burrage and Langley, 2009). Josh et al (2000) suggested that Social Capital was an important explanation regarding health issues. Supporting the theory that life chances are influenced by social environment and the people around us (Holborn, Burrage and Langley, 2009). The Black Report unearthed an increasing gap in the inequalities of health between lower and hig her social classes. There was a general improvement in health but it wasn’t equal within the classes; poor health was increasing. The Black Report also discovered that healthShow MoreRelatedBlack Report : The Black2369 Words   |  10 PagesBlack report 1942 The black report is a finding which was is really large differentials in mortality and morbidity which its more liked in the higher social classes and that these were not being adequately addressed by health or social services. Between the rich and poor the black report has a wider divide the health care provision now. In countries where there is small income usually would have the best healthcare and the best health and the countries like the UK are rich and they have health inequalitiesRead Moreblack report798 Words   |  4 Pagesyoung children and older adult. This report influenced the governments green paper, Our Healthier Nation (1998) and the 1999 white paper, saving lives (bbc.co.uk21.06.13). 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Fannie and her white lover got into a physical altercation that left Fannie with obvious bruises. To prevent from having to tell James about the affair she told her neighbors that a black man came and attacked her. As word spread throughout the townRead MoreBlack Males And Male Males1552 Words   |  7 Pagesaverage, black males experienced 3.4 police stops in the past two years, compared to 0.7 stops for white males and 0.5 stops for Chinese males. Although black females are less likely to be stopped and questioned by the police than black males, they are significantly more likely to report police stops than white or Chinese females. In fact, black females (9%) are more likely to report three or more police stops than white (8%) or Chinese males (6%). 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MGTU1DB Free Essays

1. Definitely not appropriate, 2. Probably not appropriate, 3. We will write a custom essay sample on MGTU1DB or any similar topic only for you Order Now Undecided, 4. Probably appropriate, and 5. Definitely appropriate __5___ Careful study of trade journals – There is no law that prohibits the access to trade journals. Anyone with a subscription can freely peruse through journal contents. Furthermore, trade journals are reputable sources that collect data through legitimate means. __1___ Wiretapping the telephones of competitors Aside from this being against the law in most countries, it also infringes against the universal right of individuals and other entities to privacy. __4__ Posing as a potential customer to competitors Although there is nothing preventing an entity from doing this, the effort that the competition needs to exert to entertain the â€Å"fake† customer is an unethical burden to impose. This is unless the â€Å"spying† entity intends to avail of the competitor’s goods/services anyway for comparison in which case I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. __4__ Getting loyal customers to put out a phone `request for proposal` soliciting competitors` bids Since these are loyal customers, then the ‘requests for proposal’ are obviously superficial. However, it rests on the shoulders of the competitors to weed out these superficial requests and not give in to them. __5__ Buying competitors` products and taking them apart It’s called reverse engineering. If you pay for something, then you have the right to learn as much as you can from it. Of course, this is strictly on an information gathering perspective. Copying the work and selling it is subject to a whole other set of rules. __2__ Hiring management consultants who have worked for competitors I see nothing wrong with the company making this move. However, the consultants are of course subject to limitations bound by their contracts to competitors that they had worked for previously. These conditions usually include confidentiality in which case it would be futile for the company to try to get info from another company by extracting it from consultancy firms that their competitors have previously used. __4__ Rewarding competitors` employees for useful `tips` So long as the ‘tips’ are legally acquired, there’s nothing wrong with it. __3__ Questioning competitors` customers and/or suppliers There’s nothing wrong with conducting information drives to customers. Customers usually have small grievances on a competitor which could prove useful for the company. Suppliers are another matter. Suppliers especially ones that have exclusive customers by region usually do not divulge information regarding their clients. __5__ Buying and analyzing competitors` garbage It’s the same as buying the competitor’s products. __1__ Advertising and interviewing for nonexistent jobs This blatantly fools not only the competitor but also the general public. It constitutes a violation __5__ Taking public tours of competitors` facilities Since it is a public tour, then it’s perfectly alright for the company to tour competitor facilities as guided by the rules in those facilities. Violating the rules (such as taking pictures when not allowed to do so) is another matter. __2__ Releasing false information about the company in order to confuse competitors. Although the company aims to confuse competition, what it’s actually doing is also confusing the public which is generally an unacceptable business practice. There are some exceptions such as when the company bait’s competition with information that does not affect any other public or private entity aside from the competitors. These exceptions could mean something like deliberately leaving fake files in front of a competitor. __2__ Questioning competitors` technical people at trade shows and conferences Like the consultancy firms, these individuals are probably under strict contract not to divulge any pertinent information. There is no problem in questioning them, but what they reveal might even be false information that could damage the company rather than help them with the competition. __5__ Hiring key people away from competitors This is piracy. As long as the company can make offers that its competitor’s employees can’t refuse, it’s a free country. __3___ Analyzing competitors` labor union contracts It completely depends on the nature of the contracts. If it is a matter of public document, then there’s nothing wrong with procuring and analyzing it. If not, then the competitor’s privacy should be respected __1___ Having employees date persons who work for competitors If this is obligatory which is what is implied by the statement, then it violates the private life of the company’s employees. It is also most likely beyond their employees’ job descriptions. If it is voluntary, then it seems to be a matter of personal morals, although I’d still say that it is cruel. __3__ Studying aerial photographs of competitors` facilities This strictly depends on whether or not the law allows the act. I see no moral contentions outside those of mere adherence to government mandate. Reference: Gordon, H. (2003). Business Ethics. Pinedale Press: New Jersey How to cite MGTU1DB, Essay examples