The Water You're
Drinking Right Now.

No amount of lead in drinking water is considered completely safe. Regular long-term exposure to even low levels can harm your health:

• In babies and children, lead exposure can affect brain development and cause learning and behaviour problems.
• In pregnant women, lead can cross the placenta and harm the unborn baby.
• Long-term exposure can also cause kidney damage, high blood pressure and possibly increase cancer risk.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are man-made chemicals created around WWII by bonding carbon and fluorine for strength, stain, grease and water resistance. Used in up to ~14,000 everyday products, they barely break down — building up in water supplies and in the body.

• Linked to kidney, testicular and liver cancers and liver toxicity, and to rising early-onset cancers (colon, liver) in younger people.
• Developmental & reproductive effects: low birth weight, accelerated puberty, reduced fertility and pregnancy-induced hypertension.
• Weaken the immune system (lower vaccine effectiveness) and are tied to obesity, type-2 diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and reduced kidney function.

Added to disinfect mains water, but it carries short-term nuisances and long-term concerns:

• Taste & odour: a chemical, bleach-like or metallic taste and smell.
• Gut discomfort: high concentrations can irritate the stomach lining, causing minor bloating, cramps or nausea.
• Disinfection by-products (DBPs): when chlorine meets organic matter it forms trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Chronic exposure is linked to a disrupted gut microbiome, higher bladder and colorectal cancer risk, aggravated asthma/allergies, and possible pregnancy risks.

Added to Irish water to reduce tooth decay, but excessive long-term intake carries risks:

• Dental fluorosis: white streaks or mottling on children's developing teeth.
• Skeletal fluorosis: years of high intake can stiffen joints and weaken bones.
• Emerging research links high exposure in pregnancy and childhood to lower IQ and thyroid disruption.

Mains water can still carry microbial contamination — especially from old pipes, storage tanks or private wells:

• E. coli, coliforms, cryptosporidium and giardia can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
• Especially dangerous for infants, the elderly, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system.
• Frequent boil-water notices across Ireland show how often microbes get through.

Dissolved calcium and magnesium make water "hard." Not directly dangerous, but a constant daily nuisance:

• Scale build-up clogs kettles, pipes and appliances, shortening their lifespan.
• Leaves a chalky film on dishes and glassware, and a dry feeling on skin and hair.
• Can give water a cloudy look and a slightly bitter, mineral taste.

Mostly from agricultural fertiliser and run-off — a major issue in rural Irish supplies:

• Convert to nitrites in the body, reducing the blood's ability to carry oxygen.
• Cause "blue baby syndrome" (methaemoglobinaemia) — dangerous for bottle-fed infants.
• Long-term high intake is linked to an increased risk of certain cancers.

Tiny plastic particles now found in both tap and bottled water worldwide:

• Shed from pipes, packaging and general environmental pollution.
• Can carry absorbed chemicals and bacteria into the body.
• Early research links accumulation to inflammation and potential hormonal and cellular effects still being studied.