All About Water

The Taste of Water: Water Isn’t Tasteless

We usually think of water as being tasteless, odorless, and colorless. However, this is a misconception. In fact, we like our water to have a taste—in blind taste tests, we prefer tap water to distilled water. Most taste testers agree that water should have a taste, but that it shouldn’t stand out.

How the Taste of Water Varies

Several factors influence the taste of water. Tap water taste changes depending on where you live and the water treatment process in your area. We commonly associate municipal water with the slightly acidic taste of chlorine. Carbonation levels affect carbonated water’s taste. Greater amounts of carbon dioxide make the water taste more acidic—drinkers call this acidity “spritzy” or “sharp,” and may enjoy or dislike this taste based on their own personal preferences. Bottled water brands mislead consumers into thinking that bottled water tastes better than tap water: blind taste tests show that most consumers prefer tap water. When water is used as an ingredient, the water’s taste in turn affect affects the foods and drinks that it helps make.

How We Judge the Taste of Water

We think of water as being tasteless, but subconsciously we are always judging its flavor. We consider water’s saltiness, its softness, its earthiness. When most people talk about tap water’s “taste,” they are really referring to its flavor. While taste is merely what one perceives with the tongue, flavor takes into account smell and touch, or mouthfeel, in addition to taste. Our 100,000 taste buds are assess the four basic stimuli of sweetness, sourness, bitterness and saltiness of all of the water that we drink. Most taste testers agree that water should have flavor, but shouldn’t stand out. Most taste testers also agree that water’s flavor is enhanced when we filter out chemicals like sulfur and chlorine.

Why the Taste of Water Varies

All water molecules are made up of two hydrogen atoms combined with one oxygen atom. However, water’s taste nevertheless varies. The taste of water varies because water is a universal solvent. That is, water dissolves a little bit of everything it touches. As water travels, it picks up dissolved mineral traces from everything it touches, traces that affect the way the water tastes. This is why the taste of water varies depending on where it comes from.

What is an isolation tank? You may have heard people talking about isolation tanks recently, but you may not know what they are yourself. An isolation tank is a lightless, soundproof tank in which a person floats in skin temperature salt water. Isolation tanks employ sensory deprivation as a tool for meditation and relaxation. Some consider isolation tanks a form of alternative medicine. Isolation tanks go by many names, such as float tanks, sensory deprivation tanks, and floatation baths.

What Is an Isolation Tank: Tank Design and Use

Isolation tanks are designed to cut off all stimuli. The water in isolation tanks is filled with Epsom salt, which increases the water’s salinity and density, allowing users to float more easily with their faces above the water. Because the users’ ears float below the water, hearing is reduced. Other users use ear-plugs to further cut off sound. Users float with their arms by their sides, reducing skin sensation. To reduce smell, the water is treated as little as possible. The water temperature is carefully matched with the air temperature, cutting down one’s feeling of having a body boundary. In short, the isolation tank is designed to eliminate as many stimuli as possible.

What Is an Isolation Tank: How to Use an Isolation Tank

People usually use the isolation tank while naked. While users can technically wear swimsuits, this is discouraged because the elastic on swimsuits can uncomfortably compress skin, producing extraneous negative stimuli. Because the water should be altered by external forces as little as possible, users must bathe before entering the tank. After their isolation tank session, users must bathe again to cleanse their skin of the Epsom salt. For this reason, a shower is usually installed in the same room as the tank. This allows the user can switch directly from the shower to the tank and the tank to the shower.

What Is an Isolation Tank: The History of the Isolation Tank

The isolation tank was created in 1954 by medical practitioner John C. Lilly. John C. Lilly, a trained psychoanalyst, wanted to experiment with sensory deprivation. Several theories about sensory deprivation were circulating in Lilly’s. These theories held that the brain could go to sleep if all stimuli were cut off to it. Lilly decided to test these theories with the isolation tank, an experimental environment that would isolate the individual from external stimulations. He used this experimental environment to study awareness and consciousness. Experimenters at other universities continue his studies today. What is an isolation tank? A relaxation technique whose benefits are still being researched today.

Transporting Water

Access to water has always been an important factor in the location of settlements, whether primitive or modern, human or animal, and the need for water is a universal part of life. Unfortunately, billions of people around the world still lack access to potable water.  Water shortages are usually defined as third-world phenomena, but shortages of clean water are also prevalent in the United States.  As the world’s population grows, humanity must recognize that water access is becoming an increasingly global concern.

Access to Clean Water

Access to water is vital, but access to clean water is even more critical.  Today, approximately one billion people do not have access to clean water, which has severely harmed the health and economic development of the most affected regions.  Further, according to UNICEF, lack of safe water is the world’s single largest cause of illness. Lack of clean water can cause afflictions such as river blindness, cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, and a number of other diseases and infections. The global water crisis is not unsolvable, though. Countries around the world are actively pursuing solutions such as reduction of pollution, infrastructure building, desalinization, improved irrigation, and more.

Data Concerning Water Usage

• A person needs 7.5 to 15 liters a day for survival. Included in this are figures for drinking water, hygiene and cooking.
• On average, women in Africa and Asia walk about 6 kilometers to collect water.
• More than 3½ million people die each year from water-related diseases.
• A child dies every 20 seconds from a water-related disease.

Access to Water and Sewage Treatment

In man’s effort to stay safe, he has found ways to treat water. Water treatment occurs before the water enters a house. Unfortunately, water treatment is so simplistic that many people are still concerned for population safety. Sewage treatment is done on used water before it re-enters the source, such as a river or under ground supply. Sewage treatment speeds the process of eutrophication, or the aging process of water, and creates favorable breeding grounds for disease that would not be as concentrated if nature took care of itself. Taking the larger particles from sewage water is acceptable, but the later-stage biological processes are what cause eutrophication.

Access to water and particularly, clean water will always present a major problem to the human race. Unfortunately, there are too many people needing too many resources from the planet.

What is a Polyphosphate?

Phosphates are broken down into four primary groups. Orthophosphate is used for detergents and baking, pyrophosphate for water treatment and metal cleaning, and tripolyphosphate in meat processing and, oddly enough, dish detergent. The fourth group, and the focus of this article, is polyphosphate, which is commonly used in kaolin production, water treatment, food processing and preservation, and more.

How is Polyphosphate Manufactured?

Polyphosphate is a blend of phosphoric acid and other compounds or elements. Starting with phosphoric rock, there are two methods of processing phosphoric acid. The wet process combines the phosphoric acid with sulfuric acid. This compound is generally used in the agricultural market. The dry method uses heat to purify the phosphoric rock into phosphorous pentoxide. This phosphorous pentoxide is then dissolved in either water or phosphoric acid to increase its potency. The result is the basis for polyphosphate chemical compounds.

Polyphosphate in Water Purification

Polyphosphate is an effective agent that prevents the natural iron in well water from staining concrete and other porous surfaces brown. Anyone using well water can also appreciate its odor retardant ability. Orthophosphate and polyphosphate can be used together in treating water along with additional phosphate compounds. Their job is to stabilize the quality of water, inhibit corrosion of water pathways, remove scale deposits, and discourage unhealthy microbe growth.

Polyphosphate in Food Preparation

Interestingly, polyphosphate is often used in food preservation. Chickens are injected with a polyphosphate solution directly after slaughter. This process greatly reduces thaw drip, aids in water retention, and increases the stability of the cooked meat. This method is also used when freezing fresh fish. Although salt would accomplish the same result, it is not used because excess salt can create unpleasant tastes in preserved foods.

Polyphosphate and Your Health

Since most foods break down upon consumption into a simple phosphate in the human stomach, addition of polyphosphates to food or water poses little risk. While polyphosphates can be harmful if taken in very large quantities, most people usually do not exceed the recommended daily level in their diets so there is no cause for concern.

What is algae?

Algae is a single-celled plant that occurs naturally in all surface water. It can be green, blue-green, brown, red, or pink. Algae in water is not a concern normally, as it is present in all surface water, but at certain times it can grow explosively, a condition called bloom. Blooms occur when algae in water has reached the proper temperature and sunlight to reproduce exponentially, usually in the warmest part of summer. The most common kind of algae found in water is cyanobacteria.

Are there health risks associated with consuming algae?

According to Falconer’s “Algal Toxins in Seafood and Drinking Water” blooms of algae in water are frequently associated with poisoning and even death in livestock and humans. Cyanobacteria in very high concentrations can cause liver damage, and even though this is unlikely to occur in drinking water, algae in water can cause diarrhea and stomach cramps. Also, even low levels of algae in water can irritate the skin and eyes when used for showering or swimming.

Under what conditions does algae grow?

Algae blooms occur when they have plenty of sun and appropriate temperature in the water, which means that still, shallow water will bloom where a stream will not normally. Since many drinking water systems use a reservoir to draw their water from, algae can enter your house through your taps. Algae may also grow in drinking glasses if they are not properly cleaned.   Be sure to regularly clean your drinking bottles with a dilute bleach solution.

How could it get into drinking water?

Many towns and cities use reservoirs to deliver drinking water to homes.  These reservoirs can be a great host for algae.  High concentrations of nitrogen and ammonia, common commercial fertilizers, can cause an algal bloom to occur. This can mean that a cracked well casing could allow algae to enter even an artesian system.

How can I remove algae in water?

Algae in water can be controlled through the use of algaecides, but this is less than ideal as even in their decomposition they can release toxins. Ideally they can be avoided at the reservoir level by installing draw off pipes deep enough to avoid the algae. On a household level, a filter is the easiest and quickest way to make sure you are not drinking tiny plants with your water.

Mosquitoes are insects that feed off of flowers and sometimes the blood of mammals. Mosquitoes are found everywhere, even in the Arctic.   Typically, the ideal weather for mosquito’s is generally warm and with rainfall or post-rainfall water present.When the population of mosquitoes swell, there is an increase risk of disease spreading and water contamination. Knowing how and why they prefer certain locations can help diminish their numbers by taking action and controlling breeding in that area.  Mosquito’s never venture far from water because it is necessary for their breeding process.

What is the life cycle of a mosquito, and how does water play a role?

Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle and can breed in any source of water.  The female mosquito can lay up to 50-100 eggs at a time, and up to 500 eggs during its normal life-span. These eggs are placed in bodies of water or areas with extreme moisture. Depending on the species of mosquito, the incubation period varies greatly. Some can remain eggs for years until submerged in water while others may hatch after 1-2 days. When hatched the larvae lives in water and feeds off of organic material within the water. Approximately, after 5-6 days the larvae becomes a pupa in preparation for adult life. Such as in its larvae phase, the mosquito pupa lives in water. This phase lasts only a couple of days, and the adult emerges on the surface of the water. As it is obvious to see water and the mosquito go together and without water the mosquito cannot finish its natural life cycle.

What are ideal mosquito breeding sites and how to eradicate them?

Although mosquitoes can fly miles away from their breeding site, most rarely travel further than 300 feet from their birthplace. Water and the mosquito are cohesive to the breeding process and areas that have stagnant water are ideal places for breeding sites. Depending on the species of mosquito, the types of locations can vary, but one component that remains the same is the necessity of water. In residential areas, pools, discarded containers, tree holes, plant pots and gutters are ideal locations among others.
The best strategy to combat mosquito populations is to empty collected water in various places every week, drain or cover pools, fill tree holes and remove clutter from ditches and drains. There are also chemicals that can be placed in pools and ponds (find one that contains Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis or BTI, a naturally occurring soil bacterium that can kill mosquito larvae in present water) and personal repellents (usually containing DEET).

Childbirth is one of the most amazing events in a woman’s life. While standard hospital deliveries are the most common type of childbirth experience, more and more women want additional control over the events surrounding the birth of their child. One way to accomplish this control is by having a waterbirth rather than a traditional hospital birth. A waterbirth also encourages the success of a natural childbirth, making a woman more likely to have a pleasant experience without the use of drugs.

What is Waterbirth?

Water has been known for its healing, restorative and relaxation properties for centuries. Warm water treatments exist for many ailments, from arthritis to recovery from sports injuries. For some time, it has also been noted that the use of water during childbirth proves very beneficial for many women.

A waterbirth is essentially a unique childbirth experience in which a woman both labors and delivers her baby while submersed in warm water. This provides a relaxing environment for a woman as she goes through the difficult and sometimes long process of labor. Additionally, it welcomes a new baby to the world in a kinder, gentler manner than arriving in a brightly lit room under hectic conditions.

Babies are protected in the womb with amniotic fluid, so they are accustomed to being in a warm and wet environment. There is some evidence to suggest that being born in the same manner actually results in a baby who is more relaxed and calm through the birthing process.

Benefits of Waterbirth

The benefits of a waterbirth are many and may vary greatly from woman to woman. However, the following list provides a comprehensive look at some of the most common benefits experienced from this type of delivery.

• Less use of pain medications
• More freedom for the mother to move about during labor Easier labor with less pain reported by mothers
• Can speed up a labor that is progressing too slowly
• Less anxiety over the birthing process
• Supports good blood circulation and helps lower the laboring mother’s blood pressure
• Shorter labor times with faster dilation
• Lower rate of emergency cesarean section deliveries

Risk Factors

The only widely known risk factor to a waterbirth is the possibility of infection if the laboring woman’s water has already broken. For this reason and others, it is not wise for a woman to labor in this manner at home in a bathtub that may not be sterile. The risk of infection can be greatly lowered by experiencing a waterbirth in a birthing facility or hospital that supports this type of childbirth experience. The staff at these locations will know how to ensure that the birthing tub is clean and sterile, making the risk of an infection extremely unlikely.

As we have seen by the material presented above, a waterbirth is not only a wise option for a laboring mother but it is also a safe one. Additionally, the mother is likely to experience less pain, easier transition, shorter labor times and a faster recovery from childbirth. Other family members can be present to provide emotional support to the laboring mother, and she is more likely to view the experience of childbirth in a positive light. If you or someone you know is interested in a waterbirth delivery, be sure to check with local birthing centers and hospitals to obtain additional facts about this type of childbirth experience.

A virus is a microorganism that needs a living cell’s chemical makeup in order to grow or reproduce, and a virus may reproduce itself exactly as it is or with errors or mutations. When a virus mutates it changes in each person it infects causing treatment to become more difficult.

Viruses are the source of many infections ranging from the common cold, a rhinovirus, to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Viruses are smaller than bacteria.

Why are viruses in water a concern?

Water is a basic need in all humans and animals, so water that is impure must be treated to get rid of any bacteria or virus that may cause disease. There are several known types of viruses that live and thrive in water and are considered waterborne viruses:

• Adenovirus infection is one of the viruses in water transmitted through untreated water. Its symptoms are common cold symptoms, croup, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

• Gastroenteritis is found in untreated water. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, fever, and abdominal pain.

• SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is another virus found in drinking water. Its symptoms are fever, myalgia, gastrointestinal symptoms, lethargy, cough and sore throat.

• Hepatitis A can be ingested through water and food. The symptoms of this disease are always acute and never chronic. Symptoms are fatigue, abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, nausea, jaundice, itching, weight loss and depression.

• Poliomyelitis (polio), one of the viruses in water, enters water through the feces of an infected person. What makes polio unusual is that 90% to 95% of people with the disease show no symptoms. Symptoms such as headache, delirium, fever, occasional seizures and spastic paralysis occur in 4% to 8% of victims. Non-paralytic asceptic meningitis presents in 1% of patients and the rest are totally paralyzed or die from the disease.

• Polyomavirus (BK and JV viruses) are very widespread and can be transmitted through water. It is believed that approximately 80% of the population carries antibodies to Polyomavirus. Symptoms of the BK virus are mild respiratory infection and infection of the kidneys in some transplant patients. The JV virus causes infection in the respiratory system and kidneys and may cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in the brain the results in death.

Viruses in water have a huge health and economic impact on the individual, the community and a whole country if not detected and eliminated in the early stages of development. Viral diseases are not easily treated and can cost enormous amounts of time and money to fix.

Hydrotherapy is a type of therapy that uses water to treat pain and/or illness, and hydrotherapy has been used as a medical treatment for thousands of years. Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, often prescribed spring water baths to his patients. Hydrotherapy was also used in ancient Japan. The ancient Japanese people bathed in the local onsen, or hot springs, which were believed to have special healing powers due to their mineral content. Today, water therapies are still used to treat a range of ailments, there are many health benefits of water. The effectiveness of this therapy has been supported by numerous medical studies.

What Treatments Are Included in Hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy is a very general term that can refer to several different treatments, including steam baths, foot baths, saunas, sitz baths, whirlpools, mineral baths, underwater massage, and hot Roman baths. It may also refer to the act of alternating hot and cold compresses on an area to improve circulation. Warm compresses or wraps may also be applied to the feet or chest to relieve certain conditions.

What Conditions Are Treated with Hydrotherapy?

Many different conditions are treated using hydrotherapy. Warm mineral baths can help relieve muscle and joint pain. Sitz baths, which require patients to alternate between cold and warm tubs, help relieve menstrual pain, hemorrhoids, and polyps. Different types of hydrotherapy are also used to treat colds, infections, headaches, congestion, bronchitis, sinus infections, and some skin conditions. The Arthritis Foundation also recommends hydrotherapy to help treat the inflammation and soreness caused by osteoarthritis.

Where Does One Go to Receive Treatment?

A professional who specializes in water therapy is known as a hydrotherapist. Water therapy is commonly offered in health spas and wellness centers. Patients may even use these treatments at home to independently manage pain or illness. Some rehabilitation center also employ hydrotherapists that offer water therapy treatments.

Has Hydrotherapy Been Proven to Work?

Numerous studies have proven the effectiveness of hydrotherapy. In 2008, the Australian Institute of Sport studied the effect of hydrotherapy on muscle soreness. They concluded that cold water immersion and contrast water therapy, which involves the use of cold and hot water, were both effective in improving muscle soreness due to exercise. In 2009, a study held at the University of Duisburg-Essen, by the Department of Internal Medicine V, tested the effectiveness of hydrotherapy as a treatment for fibromyalgia. The study concluded that hydrotherapy was moderately effective in helping fibromyaglia patients control pain. These studies may just prove what ancient healers once believed to be true: that hydrotherapy is an effective way to treat many different medical conditions.