You don’t have to work in a nuclear plant like Homer Simpson to get a daily dose of radioactive uranium. Heck, you don’t even need to live near one.
Because the odds are pretty good that you’re getting “zapped” with every sip or drip of tap water you’re exposed to. Research reveals that much of our water supply is laced with radiation.
You see, uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element. It’s found in nature in small amounts in minerals. And as a result, it ends up in our surface and groundwater.
That means that every glass of tap water you drink, meal you cook, and bath you take could come with a small dose. And over time, that potentially could be slowly ramping up your risks.
But there’s a quick and easy way to dramatically cut back on that unexpected dosage. And when you do, you could reduce your risk of cancer and other problems linked to uranium exposure.
Uranium in your tap water
New research finds that uranium is turning up in the water supply virtually everywhere across the nation.
In fact, statistically speaking, it’s very likely in your own tap water right now. The study finds that 63 percent of U.S. public water systems tested positive for uranium.
Generally, the levels are low, with just 2.1 percent exceeding EPA guidelines. But it’s hard to take comfort in that for a couple of reasons.
First of all, being exposed to a radioactive substance like uranium over time (such as in that tap water) could increase your risks. While much of the uranium you ingest isn’t absorbed and exits again when you go to the bathroom, some does hang around.
The absorbed uranium gets deposited around your body, with the highest levels found in your bones, liver, and kidneys. Most of it that isn’t in your bones gets urinated out in the following week or two. But uranium can remain in your bones for far longer.
And second, the EPA guidelines on nearly every tap water contaminant are badly outdated and set way too high. In many cases, the notion of a “safe” level is ridiculous, and that’s especially true for uranium. Because the truth is we simply don’t know how that chronic contact could harm us.
Uranium exposure can raise your risk for cancer and damage your kidneys. Plus, it’s been repeatedly linked to a host of other health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease.
Add a layer of protection with filtration
Now it’s important to put things into perspective. Of course, we aren’t talking about the kind of uranium exposure we get with something like a nuclear disaster here.
But it remains to be seen what kind of harm chronic low-level uranium exposure… like the kind some of us are getting in our tap water… can do to our health. There’s been next to no research done on the subject.
The good news is you can dramatically lower your exposure simply by filtering your tap water. And you’ll be getting rid of a lot of other junk while you’re at it.
Jet fuel… hormones… cocaine… lead… arsenic… antibiotics… PFAS (“forever chemicals”) and dozens of other industrial chemicals routinely turn up in detectable levels in U.S. tap water. But reverse osmosis filtration can remove a LOT of it.
Installing a filter at your kitchen sink to ensure the uranium in the water you cook with, and drink is clean and safe is a good idea.
For maximum protection, you can install a reverse osmosis system where the water enters your home so that you’re not bathing and showering in the contaminated water, either. But keep in mind whole-house RO systems can be pricey.
For more on those PFAS chemicals I mentioned earlier, check out my report, “Dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ found in tap water.”
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