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Chlorine and Chloramine

To better appreciate the power of using a vitamin as the dechlorination agent in the Vitashower Shower Filter, the hazards in our water supplies must be better understood. These dangers are real and should not be overlooked or accepted by the general public.

Chlorine is universally used to chemically disinfect public water systems because of its toxic effect on harmful germs, bacteria and disease-causing organisms. As defined above, chlorine is a toxic gas. With greater exposure to toxic chlorine contained in water supplies, the potential health dangers we face become more real.

During the bathing process, the chlorine evaporates out of the water and is inhaled. This toxic gas can also spread through the house and be inhaled by others. Some reports claim that as much chlorine enters the body by inhaling steamy chlorinated shower vapors or through the open pores of the skin as that which enters the body by drinking chlorinated water during the entire day. This increased exposure to the adverse effects of chlorine by household residents can be from 6 to 100 times more than medically recommended.

Chlorine also attacks the skin and skin oils, creating a dermal drying effect. Shower water can also cause or worsen skin irritations and rashes as well as drying the skin. Showering and bathing in chlorinated water will also result in the breakage of hair shafts. Because chlorine is absorbed into the body through the skin, additional physical problems can ensue. Chlorinated water can also irritate eyes, leaving them red, itchy and burning. Inhaling the toxic steam can aggravate the sinuses and lungs. Chloramine, although a more stable compound, contains chlorine and ammonia and is also used to control bacteria in water systems. Its harmful effects cause the same dangers as pure chlorine.

Traditional Shower Filter Technologies

Activated carbon filtration (AC) is effective in reducing certain organic chemicals and chlorine in cold water. Chlorine is attracted to and held (absorbed) into the surface of the carbon particles. However, the efficiency of absorption is quickly nullified when the water becomes warm. The lifetime of an activated carbon shower filter is very short. An activated carbon shower filter gets clogged very quickly by the dirt it is meant to stop. As soon as that happens, it immediately starts to supply dirty water.

KDF, another widely used dechlorination media, is comprised of copper and zinc. It removes free chlorine by reversing the electrochemical process that originally separated the chlorine from sodium in a brine solution. It can't, however, remove chloramines and, it's efficiency depends on water temperature, it doesn't work well in cold water.

There are several other limitations using KDF as a de-chlorinating agent. KDF shower filters are also affected by water pressure. When the water pressure is not high enough, water simply can't pass through the KDF powders. The major problem of KDF shower filters is that the lifetime of the filter depends on the quality of the water passing through it. This is truly a cath-22. When the quality of the water is bad, that's when we need a shower filter the most. The dirt a KDF filter removes from the water quickly covers the surface of the KDF that in turn makes the filter ineffective very quickly. When the quality of the water is clean, we don't need a shower filter and KDF shower filters works great and will last a lot longer.

Other shower filter manufacturers use sulfur-based compounds such as calcium sulfite or sodium sulfite (or sulfate) as de-chlorinating agents. These sulfur-based compounds can be toxic to humans. The addition of excess sulfite and sulfate chemicals to our water supplies has always been a concern.

Advantages of Vitamin over Traditional Technologies

Vitamin C dechlorination has a lengthy history. It has been used in EPA and APHA methods for the dechlorination of lab samples. In the medical industry, it is the standard for critical applications such as dialysis, where the introduction of chlorinated water or toxic chemical would be catatrophic. Breeders of rare fish also choose this method of dechlorination. Very recently, Vitamin dechlorination is being used in the treatment of water. It fully neutralizes both chlorine and chloramines. There are several powerful arguments for using Vitamin instead of KDF, activated carbon or sulfur-based compounds as dechlorination agents. Vitamin utilizes ascorbic acid chemistry for dechlorination. It is made with an essential vitamin for humans and many animals, which is known to boost the immune system, improve skin and hair of humans. It is also the safest and least toxic of dechlorination agents.
The research by US EPA found that L-Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) reacts rapidly and stoichiometrically with active chlorine and has limited interactions with disinfection byproducts. They found no interference from L-ascorbic acid or its oxidation product (dehydroascorbic acid) in mutagenicity assays of chlorinated NOM using Salmonella typhimurium TA100, with or without metabolic activation.

*Urbansky ET, Freeman DM, Rubio FJ, JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING 2 (3): 253-256 2000, United States Environmental Protection Agency(US EPA), Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Water Supply and Water Resources Division, 26 W Martin Luther King Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45268 USA. Click Research to read abstract of the papers or visit http://www.vita-d-chlor.com/General.htm for more information.

Vitamin C and Skincare

The association between Vitamins and good healthy skin has been established for some time. Laboratory and clinical studies have indicated a very useful role for applied Vitamins in combating various skin disorders, especially to assist in preventing, retarding and arresting certain degenerative changes associated with the ageing process, such as dry and scaly skin and the formation of lines and wrinkles.

Vitamin C, the super powerful and most potent anti-oxidant, has the proven ability to neutralize or counteract damage to the body's cells caused by free radicals which are understood to be the major cause of ageing. Scientific research has shown that applying Vitamin C to the skin helps to stimulate the production of collagen, an essential protein which forms the skin's supporting structure. As we age, collagen production slows down and as a result, the skin begins to show the visible signs of degeneration in the form of lines and wrinkles. Collagen plumps up the skin, resulting in a healthier, smoother and more radiant complexion. Vitamin C is known as the most important ingredient in Collagen Synthesis - it stimulates collagen production in the skin. It is very difficult to get high enough concentrations in the skin through diet alone. For optimal skin health & vitality, Vitamin C has to be delivered onto and be absorbed into the skin in order for it to be effective for skin rejuvenation, repair and protection.

Chlorine and Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that affects the skin. It is not contagious; it cannot be passed from one person to another. The word "dermatitis" means inflammation of the skin. "Atopic" refers to a group of diseases where there is often an inherited tendency to develop other allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever. In atopic dermatitis, the skin becomes extremely itchy. Scratching leads to redness, swelling, cracking, "weeping" clear fluid, and finally, crusting and scaling. In most cases, there are periods of time when the disease is worse (called exacerbations or flares) followed by periods when the skin improves or clears up entirely (called remissions). As some children with atopic dermatitis grow older, their skin disease improves or disappears altogether, although their skin often remains dry and easily irritated. In others, atopic dermatitis continues to be a significant problem in adulthood. Although atopic dermatitis may occur at any age, it most often begins in infancy and childhood. Atopic dermatitis is often referred to as "eczema," which is a general term for the several types of inflammation of the skin. Atopic dermatitis is the most common of the many types of eczema. Several have very similar symptoms. Please visit http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/dermatitis/ for more information.

Factors That Make Atopic Dermatitis Worse

Many factors or conditions can make symptoms of atopic dermatitis worse, further triggering the already overactive immune system, aggravating the itch-scratch cycle, and increasing damage to the skin. These factors can be broken down into two main categories: irritants and allergens. Emotional factors and some infections and illnesses can also influence atopic dermatitis. Irritants are substances that directly affect the skin and, when present in high enough concentrations with long enough contact, cause the skin to become red and itchy or to burn.

Common Irritants
Wool or synthetic fibers
Soaps and detergents
Some perfumes and cosmetics
Substances such as chlorine, mineral oil, or solvents
Dust or sand
Cigarette smoke

For better health, try our Vitamin C shower filter and effervescent Vitamin C dechlorination tablets

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