A water filter pitcher

You can’t see them. Neither can you feel them. But both bottled water and tap water may contain contaminants – like lead, copper and aluminum – that can affect your health.

By law, piped water from your faucet and bottled water should have "acceptable" or low levels of contaminants and should be free from harmful organisms that cause typhoid fever, gastroenteritis, cholera and other water-borne diseases.

Despite these rigid measures, water can be contaminated as a result of human activity or nature. And even if contaminants are under the government’s legal limit, they can still pose a threat to vulnerable groups like pregnant women and people with cancer or AIDS. Here’s a roundup of contaminants that can cause problems:

Aluminum – is found almost everywhere – in cooking pots and utensils, antacids, baking powders, food additives, underarm deodorants and water. High brain levels of aluminum are found in people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. It has also been associated with dementia in dialysis patients. In animals, this element causes epilepsy and other nerve disorders.

Chlorine – is used to disinfect water but it also reacts with organic matter in water to form chloroform and other trihalomethanes (THM) which may increase the risk of bladder and rectal cancers and of miscarriage. It also affects the taste and smell of water.

Lead – is picked up from corroded or lead-soldered pipes and brass faucets when it reaches your home. This metal can cause impotence and sterility in males and damage the nervous system, heart, bones and kidneys. It can also cause hearing loss and learning disabilities in children.

To avoid these problems, don’t drink water of unknown safety and have your water tested regularly at government-certified testing laboratories.

A more practical and economical solution is to use the Brita Water Filter Pitcher. For over 30 years now, Brita of Germany remains the undisputed leader in water filtration technology with 50 satisfied customers worldwide.

The heart of this amazing yet simple technology is the Brita cartridge that contains activated granular carbon and an ion exchange resin that removes odors and improves the taste and appearance of drinking water. This effectively removes aluminum, lindane, chlorine, lead and copper.

Just run tap water into the Brita Water Filter Pitcher for clean fresh water anytime, anywhere. Brita is available at leading department stores and supermarkets. For more information, call Mayon Consolidated Inc., its local distributor, at 372-3944 to 48.