Everybody’s body reacts differently to the things that we consume. You can see this in everything from food allergies to the varying reactions that people have to certain medications. And the way that people react to various water contaminants is no different. One group of people that are particularly susceptible to poor drinking water quality are those with weakened immune systems. Today we’re going to talk about the types of people who have weakened immune systems and some of the water contaminants that they are extra sensitive to.
What types of people have weakened immune systems?
Unfortunately, there are some types of water contaminants that are virtually harmless to healthy people, but can be very dangerous for people with weakened immune systems. In general, the types of people who are extra sensitive to these types of contaminants are:
- People with HIV and AIDS
- Organ transplant patients
- People who have been diagnosed with hematological malignancies
- People who were born with or acquired weakened immune systems
- Children
What contaminants are especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems?
A partial list of contaminants that are especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems include:
- Cryptosporidium: Cryptosporidium is a parasite that is most often spread through water. Unlike many of the waterborne pathogens that are killed by our local water treatment plants, cryptosporidium is resistant to disinfection from chlorine. Cryptosporidium poses the biggest threat to people with compromised immune systems.
- Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs): PFCs are chemicals that are often found in tap water that are mostly unregulated by the EPA. They have been known to disrupt your endocrine system and affect your sex hormones. Studies have shown that these chemicals also have adverse effects on your immune system, making them especially problematic for people with weakened immune systems.
- Chlorine byproducts: Chlorine byproducts, in particular trihalomethanes, have been lined to all kinds of health problems for anyone who consumes them. Like PFCs, they have also been linked to weakened immune systems.
Protect yourself with a home filtration system
Because many of the contaminants that affect people with compromised immune systems are not removed by local water treatment plants, the best way to protect yourself from them is to install a residential water treatment system. These systems will make your water safe to drink for anyone in your family, especially those with weakened immune systems.
If you have any questions about the effects of water on the immune system, or if you’d like a water treatment system serviced or installed in your home, contact North Carolina Water Consultants, your North and South Carolina water filtration and water softening system dealer. We service areas all over the Carolinas, including towns like Statesville, Belmont and Mocksville, NC.
photo credit: Raymond Bryson via photopin cc
