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Even the scientists are a bit uncertain as how to classify a substance as a heavy metal. By some definitions, there are about 50 heavy metals, or which about 20 can cause toxic reactions in the body. Heavy metals can be loosely defined as metals that are about 5 times heavier than an equal volume of water. Not all heavy metals are intrinsically bad; we actually need some of them for health reasons such as zinc, iron, copper, and manganese. However, too many of these ‘good’ heavy metals can also cause harm. However, there are some heavy metals that have no redeeming qualities such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium. Heavy metals have been linked to some very serious health effects:

• Lead poisoning is a very serious condition, and lead can cause damage to nearly every part of the body. Damage can be done to the kidneys, brain, heart, gastrointestinal system, and reproductive system. In large enough doses, lead poisoning can cause death.
• Mercury is another dangerous metal that can find its way into the water supply. Mercury causes neurological problems which can cause irreversible damage to the brain.
• Cadmium causes a wide range of health problems from cardiovascular involvement, mental confusion, impairment of the immune system, skin rashes, vomiting, emphysema, cancer, and kidney damage.

• Reverse osmosis filters do a very good job of removing heavy metals from the water. Whole house filters will assure that not only will drinking water be pure, but that water used for bathing will also be uncontaminated.
• Filters with KDF and carbon are also good at removing most heavy metals from water. Lead, copper, and mercury will be trapped by the carbon.
• Distillation filters are available as either whole house or countertop units and will remove literally every trace of heavy metals from the water.

The great majority of Americans, about 80%, now live in cities or in the areas immediately surrounding cities. These people must all drink water supplied by their local municipality, and ensuring a safe water supply is necessary to preserve the health of several hundred million people. Prior to 1974, there were basically no standards applied to water quality, but the establishment of the Safe Water Drinking Act was a step in the right direction to keep public drinking water safe. The law was updated later to include wells, rivers, reservoirs, and all other sources of municipal drinking water.
   
Any water supply is dependent on what enters the water system, and contaminants can enter a city water supply hundreds of miles from where the water will be used. There are a number of pollutants that can pose health problems:

• Overflow of sewage from treatment plants or septic systems, especially in times of flooding.
• Radon and arsenic are natural pollutants that are found in different regions of the country.
• Agricultural areas can produce large amounts of pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste.
• Manufacturing plants can release chemicals into the system.

Although it is not really the new kid on the block, public awareness of giardia, and giardiasis, has become more pronounced in recent years. Giardia is a protozoan, which is actually a very tiny animal, and it is quite happy to take up residence in your intestines. Giardia moves by means of flagella and will breed in the small intestine, causing symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, repulsive burps, cramps, and dehydration.
   
Contaminated water is the easiest way to acquire a giardia infection, and while it is much more common in less developed nations, the United States has its share of giardiasis, too. For years, beavers were blamed for spreading giardia as the percentage of infected beavers was high. However, further research has now shown that beavers and other animals pick up giardiasis from humans. Wild animals inhabiting areas downstream of camp grounds are heavily infected with giardia.
   
Giardia has two forms, the active, swimming form, which is called a trophozoite and a tough cyst. Both forms are passed in the stool, but usually only the cyst survives to cause trouble with another living organism. If a cyst is swallowed in water, it will migrate to the small intestine and ‘hatch’ into a trophozoite. Trophozoites reproduce by the simple process of splitting in half. Trophozoites absorb food from the contents of the intestine, and eventually move down into the large intestine where most of them will become cysts, ready to be passed on to another victim.

   
Not everyone who swallows a giardia cyst will actually become ill, and these people can become carriers without even knowing it. Those who do become ill will usually get over the infection in a week or two, although antibiotic treatment can also be used to help the body return to health more quickly. Anyone who is ill to the point of dehydration should see a physician immediately.
   
Both camping expeditions in the wilderness and travel overseas can heighten your chances of becoming ill with giardiasis. However, securing a safe water supply is easy as long as you treat your water before drinking it. Water purification tablets that are iodine based have been found to be effective for killing giardia cysts as long as the cysts are exposed to the iodine for half an hour. Chlorine tablets are not considered to be reliable at eliminating giardia and should not be used for this purpose.
   
Other than boiling your water, the best option available for removing cysts is to use a water filter designed to remove pathogens. Whether you choose a camp filter that will be hung up to use gravity, or one that actively pumps water, always be sure that you check the specifications to be certain that giardia cysts will be filtered out. Bottle filters and countertop gravity filters are also good choices when camping or traveling and by simply putting your drinking water, from whatever source, through the filter you will be assured that what you drink will not make you ill.