Don’t Drink From That Hose!

There is a very good possibility that the water from your garden hose contains unsafe levels of the toxin lead! Unless your hose is clearly labeled “Lead Free” or “Drinking Water Safe,” never drink from it or use it to fill your swimming pool. In fact, since it’s unlikely you want to add lead to the soil in your lawn or garden, you’re better off shopping for a brand new hose.

And while at it, avoid hoses made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which can leach Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, both endocrine disrupters, into hose water.

The Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, tested various hoses, and produced a report for hose consumers. Hoses they found to be both PVC and lead free are:

Rubber Hoses:
Commercial Premium Rubber Hose (GoodYear)
Premium Rubber Hose (Swan)
Industrial Hot Water Rubber Hose (ACE)

Polyurethane/Other Hoses:
Flat Soaker Hose (Gilmor)
Purple Coil Hose with Nozzle (Renew Room Essentials)
Red Coil Hose with Nozzle (Renew Room Essentials)
Taupe Coil Hose with Nozzle (Renew Room Essentials)
Soil Soaker (Tractor Supply)
Soaker Hose (Swan)
Heavy Duty Garden Hose (Flexon)
Sprinkler Hose (ACE)
Soaker Hose (ACE)

Lead is a potent toxin that accumulates in the body over time, and almost all of us already have far too much. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine 25 years ago found that modern-day Americans had more than 700 times the amount of lead in their bones than Peruvians who lived 1,600 years ago.

According to Ingrid Kohlstadt, MD, MPH, writing in The Townsend Letter, although blood levels of lead are considered normal below 10 mcg/dL, levels over 2 mcg/dL are associated with disease. Lead interferes with all kinds of body chemistry, including blocking enzymes and impairing the formation of active vitamin D. It is highly detrimental to the nervous system, especially in children up to the age 6.

How to “get the lead out?” The EPA has estimated that drinking water contributes 20% or more of our total lead exposure; one more reason to own a reverse-osmosis water treatment system. Regular saunas help to remove lead and other heavy metals from the body. Your diet and supplement program should contain plenty of vitamin C; the minerals calcium, zinc, manganese, magnesium and iron; fiber; and sulfur-containing nutrients such as n-acetyl-cysteine, alpha lipoic acid and MSM. These nutrients help to keep lead from damaging your body and also help to remove it.

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