Filters for Kids: A Two-Part Series

Parents, here are some filters to protect your kids from air and water pollutants.

You know what they say: “A filter a day keeps the doctor away.”

Okay, so maybe that’s not how the original saying goes, but there is still some truth to it. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then parents should, no doubt, be concerned about what their children are eating. What parents may not know is that the quality of what their children are drinking, bathing in and breathing is just as important.  Here are some ways to ensure your kids have access to pure, uncontaminated sources of air and water.

Filters for Kids, Part One: The Stuff We Drink

National Geographic recently published an article discussing the dangers of contaminated water that runs through school fountains and sinks. Water contaminated with lead and other toxic substances is a particular concern for urban schools that have old pipelines, as lead is known to affect the physical and mental development of children. Clearly, lead belongs in the pencils children use at school, not in their drinking water.

The obvious solution to this problem is – you guessed it – bottle water.  But, before you send your child off to school with an apple and a bottle of water in his lunchbox, consider the risks. Bottled water is 1,000 times more costly than tap and is bad for the environment. There is also a chance that if your child is drinking water from a bottle, he may be exposed to bisphenol-A (BPA), a harmful substance found in a variety of plastic containers and other consumer products, including baby bottles.

It looks like we have a true dilemma on our hands. If tap water is bad, and bottled water is bad, then what can your child drink?

Well, not all bottles are bad. A lot of plastic bottle manufacturers have switched to BPA-free bottles, since consumers and the FDA expressed concerns about the health risks of this toxic substance. Rather than buying bottled water, (which is likely bottled tap water anyway), parents can instead buy reusable water bottles for kids and refill them with filtered tap water. Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles come in various sizes and are BPA-free, as are Klean Kanteen Sippy Cups for smaller children.  Certain models of the Brita filter pitcher also come with a BPA-free Nalgene bottle.  Another solution is to purchase a bottle that has an attachable filter cartridge. The Filters Fast 16 oz. water filter bottle removes significant amounts of lead and other toxic contaminants every time you refill it.

To be continued….