Wellness Rx
Wellness RX explores the power of Food/Healthy Lifestyle as Medicine and how simple lifestyle changes can prevent chronic disease. Each episode shares real conversations and practical tips on nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, and community to help you reclaim your health—naturally.
Wellness Rx
What's Really In Our Water?
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In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Amy R. Sapkota, who holds the position of Chair of the Department of Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. She breaks down what's really in our water, helping us to understand the contaminants and their health risks. Learn how common water contaminants like BPA and PFAS impact your health, as well as how to secure clean drinking water for you and your family.
Tune in for an eye-opening conversation that will change the way you think about water and empower you to make healthier choices.
🎙️ Listen now on TLC Wellness RX!
Hello and welcome to another episode of Wellness RX with your host, Dr. Tony Thompson Chittham. Or as we know her as Dr. T with a special guest from University of Maryland School of Public Health, Dr. Amy Sapakota. So lean in and find out if the water you're drinking is just water. It's all about water.
SPEAKER_03So, as we know, water is essential for life. But how often do we consider what's actually in our drinking water? With increasing concerns about water quality, it's crucial for us to understand the potential contaminants and their health consequences. In today's discussion, we will explore the dangers lurking in our water supply, including a discussion of Biz, Phenol A, and PFAS, and provide actionable tips for ensuring the safety of your water supply. We are here with a very, very special guest right at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, Dr. Amy Sakota. Dr. Sakota is a professor and inaugural chair of the Department of Global, Environmental and Occupational Health right at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. She also directs the Conserved Center of Excellence, the Global Future Alliance, and the UMD Global Stewart Graduate Program that was originally launched with funding from the National Science Foundation. Welcome to Wellness RX. Thank you so much, Dr. Sepkota, for being here with us today. Thank you so much for inviting me. I'm delighted to be here. Thank you. So let's just jump right into it. What made me interested about this topic? I was at a conference about early puberty or precoces puberty in young girls. And the speaker, of course, talked about various causes. And one cause that she talked about is phys phenol A or BPA being linked to early puberty in girls. But what really stood out is that she alluded to the fact that this ticket chemical or contaminant is in our water. So the first thing I want you to do is just tell us about what is bisphenol A and where is it, where is it found?
SPEAKER_02So bisphenol A is a chemical contaminant. And it can be jumped in our water, but it also can be found in food packagings, like the liners of cans. And it's something that, you know, we'd rather not be exposed to because as you mentioned, it may be linked to early onset of puberty and other impacts in children and adults.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Okay. Does Maryland public water system currently monitors this?
SPEAKER_02So if we step back, I can kind of explain a little bit about our water supply and our water system, where it comes from, how it's monitored, if that's Yes, yes, yes, yes. So our public water supplies are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act. Okay. And so this was a very large act that was passed in 1974 to protect public health by regulating our water. So there are over 150,000 public water supplies in the US that are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act. And what the act requires EPA to do is to develop a list of standards. We call them maximum contaminant levels. And they're standards for 88 different types of contaminants that might be in our water. So this could include microorganisms, chemicals, heavy metals, radionuclides. So, you know, because of this act, each of those public water supply systems have to test for those 88 standards, those maximum contaminant levels. And so our water, our publicly supplied water, is regularly being tested every day for these contaminants.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Okay. So how does the EPA come up with the standards, the actual levels?
SPEAKER_02So that's a great question. So this is where science comes in. This is where science is so beneficial to society, to public health. So we have scientists in academia at institutions like the University of Maryland College Park. They are scientists at NIH, at EPA, at CDC, and they're conducting studies to understand, you know, how do chemical contaminants impact human health? So there's, you know, a diverse set, multiple peer-reviewed studies that are looking at the impacts of different water contaminants on human health. I see.
SPEAKER_03So what are some of these contaminants that are currently in our water system?
SPEAKER_02So one contaminant that you may have heard about that people are concerned about are actually a group of chemicals called PFOS. So what is PFOS? So PFOS stands for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances. So that's a tongue twister. So what actually are these substances? So they're a group of over 4,000 chemicals that have been manufactured. And they have been manufactured to serve some sort of benefit to society, right? So they can be found in fire extinguishing foams, they can be found in nonstick pans, they can be found in stain-resistant carpets or rugs or furniture, they can be found in water repellent for outdoor gear. So they're in a lot of stuff. So well, what these compounds are characterized by is they have very strong carbon fluorine bonds. And these are incredibly strong bonds. They're the strongest bonds we know of, pretty much in organic chemistry. And so what that means is when these compounds get out into the environment, it's very difficult to break down those bonds. It's very difficult to break down these compounds. So this is why they've also been termed forever chemicals. Because once they're out in the environment, it's very hard to get rid of them. And if you if you think about our environment and if you think about water, anything that's getting out there in the environment, on our on our areas of land, can end up in our water supplies, can end up in our rivers. And so this is why PFAS can become a problem in drinking water supplies.
SPEAKER_03Are there any studies, whether it's certain animal studies that have linked P PFAS to any particular health consequences? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So there are there's many different peer-reviewed, both animal and human studies that have linked exposure to PFAS to various different health effects.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. So how does the EPA evaluate some products that come on the market that are unregulated contaminants? How do they monitor those or when do they evaluate those? Is it evaluated annually, you know, every five years, every 10 years?
SPEAKER_02And it really depends. It depends on the product that we're talking about. So oftentimes it's the FDA that comes in as well and regulates these products. And it just really depends. It depends on is this does this come under the purview of EPA or does this come under the purview of FDA? So for example, if we're talking about water, EPA regulates publicly supplied drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Okay. But FDA regulates bottled water.
SPEAKER_03I didn't know that.
SPEAKER_02Yes. So our bottled water, any bottled water that you're going to purchase in a plastic bottle is regulated by FDA. It doesn't fall under the Safe Drinking Water Act. And so your tap water that's coming to you from a publicly supplied water facility is being tested and being being regulated under much more scrutiny by EPA compared to that bottled water.
SPEAKER_03I see. Does FDA do any studies on bottled water to see if there's any leakage of BPA in these bottled waters?
SPEAKER_02Sure. So FDA scientists are engaged in these studies, academics are engaged in these studies, folks at NIH are engaged in these studies. And we do know that if we're talking about plastic water bottles, we do know that the plastic can leach into the water.
SPEAKER_03Is that, do we know what the time frame is? Is it once you open up a bottle of water or you have it just sitting there for a few hours versus a day?
SPEAKER_02It really depends because there's all different types of bottled water. So there can be bottled water that is literally water that was collected from a natural spring and bottled. Then there can be water that is produced by a company that is basically tap water that comes to that company and they use maybe a reverse osmosis system and they polish the water with different techniques and then bottle that water. So there's different types of bottled water. And then it also depends on how long has that water been sitting in the plastic bottle. Is that plastic bottle sitting in the trunk of your car and being exposed to heat? So the the bottom line is that if you want to drink outside of the home, it's best to drink from a stainless steel water bottle or a glass water bottle. Okay. Because stainless steel and glass are inert.
SPEAKER_03They're not going to leach anything into your water. That's a good point. That's a good point. Often I see my little ones come into the office with their cute little water bottles that are characterized and they're feasting. So that that's a a good thing. That's a really good thing.
SPEAKER_02You know, they end up in the ocean here in Prince George's County. Yep. They end up in the Anacostia River. And we have so many folks who spend so many hours cleaning trash out of the Anacostia River. And that's a problem. But if we all take responsibility to maybe change how we're drinking our water using reusable containers, and then if you are going to use a plastic water bottle, you know, disposing of it correctly, we can reduce all that trash in our local ecosystem.
SPEAKER_03That's a really good point. So that just shows that we have to be responsible stewards of the environment and remember we really need to recycle our products. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. So one thing I find parents are always asking what filter I should use. And it's so many. And there's so many different types of filtration. Would you, what would you tell us?
SPEAKER_02So this really depends on what type of water you're talking about that's coming out of your kitchen tap.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02So before I mentioned that the Safe Drinking Water Act regulates water from public water suppli supply facilities. So in our case here in Prince George's County, that would be WSSC. But people who are on a private well that's served by fewer than 25 people, these private wells are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. So I think we maybe we can talk about the two different sides and what you do. Okay. So if you're on public water supply, and you know, here in Prince George's County, we're receiving our water from WSSC, which is really a public health hero. There is sort of an understated public health hero over at WSSE. Our water comes to us, and again, they're testing for all of those contaminants, those 88 maximum contaminant levels and providing very clean, safe water to our residents. But let's say you don't like the smell of chlorine or you don't like the taste of chlorine, you can use in your home, you can use a pitcher-based filter, or you can use a countertop filter. And that filter is going, you're going to put your water on the top of the filter, it's going to use gravity to filter down through the media filter, and you're going to have a cleaner product. So what that filter is, is it's activated carbon combined with an ion exchange resin.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02So the filter is absorbing any remaining contaminants that might be in the water and, you know, further reducing levels of possible contaminants that still may remain in your water. So folks on public water supplies could tend to use these, you know, pitcher filters or countertop filters. You can also choose to install a reverse osmosis filter under your kitchen sink. It's a little bit more expensive, and then there's obvious maintenance to that. That reverse osmosis filter is going to remove virtually everything except H2O. So that's sort of on the side of like the public water supply. But if you're on a private well, this is a different scenario. Okay. So first of all, it's you're really recommended by the Maryland Department of the Environment and local health departments to test your well annually. And a lot of people don't do this. So most people, you know, the well is required to be tested at the point of sale for a home. And most people will buy that home and then they'll never test their water again.
SPEAKER_03Wow.
SPEAKER_02It's really important to check in on your well water to make sure that it's not contaminated with certain contaminants like bacteria or nitrates, because they can cause health effects. The nitrites, is that from the fertilizer? So nitrates can be from like if you have, if you're on a well and you're out in a rural area, this can be from different fertilizers, different nutrients that are put on the field. Okay. And, you know, you especially if you have young children, you want to make sure that your children aren't exposed to nitrate in water because there can be a number of different health effects. So then if you're on a well in a rural area and you know that your well has high levels of nitrate, you're really going to have to use a reverse osmosis system on your kitchen top so that you're not exposed to that contaminant.
SPEAKER_03I didn't know that. I really didn't know that. I didn't realize that we have a lot of patients and we're more central Prince George's County that even have well water in our area. Yeah. So this is must be more on the eastern shore that they have a lot.
SPEAKER_02We've got people on wells throughout the state. So primarily in rural areas, but there's also folks in areas of Annerundel County, for example, that are on wells. And we've we do have people here in Prince George's County on wells. And if you look at the the across the country, we have about 13% of the population on on private wells.
SPEAKER_03Wow. So do does WSSC kind of do a check-in with, you know, our residents that have wells just to make sure that they are doing what they're supposed to do?
SPEAKER_02Not at all. So it's not under the purview of WSSC. Okay. They are are just responsible for the public water supply. Okay. So for the private wells, it's really important that private well owner has to take responsibility and test your well. But there are resources that you can, you know, reach out to. So we have wonderful local county health departments here in the state of Maryland. Every single county in Baltimore City has a local health department. And if you have a question about your well, or if you have a question about your septic system, they can answer those questions. Okay. Okay.
SPEAKER_03This is really good information. Really good information. Well, I believe you have answered all our questions. And I think you have armed our moms and dads with powerful information so they can make sure they advocate for clean water in their household. Thank you very much for joining us today at Willness Arts.
SPEAKER_02Thank you so much. Thank you so much. And if I could just leave folks with one additional thought, because folks don't often think about where our water comes from. So when we're here in Prince George's County, if you're on a public water supply, the water is originating from our Potomac and Patuxent rivers. Those are the rivers that feed our drinking water treatment plant. So think about those rivers. You know, they they personally impact your family. So we all have a responsibility to be good stewards of those rivers and take care of them because we're all connected.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely. Thank you again. Thank you again.
SPEAKER_01All right. Okay, this was some good information. And you know what? It hits a little close to home too, because you know, these water bottles, they can get you. And I know I've seen a lot of people reuse those things. Don't do that. Please. It's one use only. Take your bottle water, you drink it all down, and you throw it away. Do not, do not reuse that water bottle. The reason here is because many particles, especially water, because they're so small, the tiny particles, they get through the blood brain barrier. Okay? So you don't want those forever chemicals in your brain. You know, people say, I know something's wrong with that person because they got up on the wrong side of the bed. Mm-mm. It was that continuous use of that plastic water bottle. No, no, no, I'm joking, I'm joking. It could be. But especially when it gets hot, I know we actually like to have water bottles or water in our trunk, in our cars, but once it reaches a certain temperature, again, just like Dr. Sakota said, those chemicals from the plastic bottle will start leaching in, breaking down into your water. And what happens? You go to drink that water, and it's like it's not water anymore. It's some Franken water. So you do not want to do that. Throw those away. Actually, you know what? Never mind that. Don't throw them away. Get you some soap, put that in your car, and you use that to wash your hands. But I'm saying, I'm just saying, yeah, but seriously, do not reuse those plastic bottles. One time use only. And I know you might be thinking, well, what are we supposed to use? Of course, many people have water bottles, not plastic ones. And that is another thing. Please make sure these are either titanium or stainless steel water bottles. But just make sure they are made of food grade 188 or 304 series stainless steel. And be sure that they are BPA free. I'll give you two options. You have Yeti and you have a Walla. And cute thing about Awala, when you actually sip from it, you actually look like a koala. It is so cute. Okay, enough about that. These are not the only options, they're just suggestions. So check it out for yourself and make sure that you're drinking safe water and your family is too. So see you next time.