Brittany Skowronski

Mr. Padgett
English 102-125
Are the chemicals in tap water dangerous?
Inquiry: What are the adverse effects of chemicals found in tap/bottled
water?

Proposed Thesis: The chemicals found in tap/bottled water serve a

purpose but in large quantities can cause serious health problems.

Jiang, Shoufang, et al. "Fluoride And Arsenic Exposure Impairs Learning

And Memory And Decreases Mglur5 Expression In The
Hippocampus And Cortex In Rats." Plos ONE 9.4 (2014): 1-10.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Feb. 2016.
This journal article introduced the claims against the inorganic
compounds found in tap water, fluoride and arsenic in particular, and
the potential negative side effects they cause. The research team then
introduced their experiment and how they would be testing the effects
fluoride and arsenic have on the Hippocampus and learning/memory.
There experiment was administered to rats and there were three
groups: group one received fluoride only tap water, the second group
received arsenic only tap water, and the third group received both.
Each of the three groups were to drink that tap water for three months
and were tested throughout that time span. The researchers found that

those rats that received the chemicals did show a decline in learning
and memory. This seems to be a pretty sound bit of information, and I
could easily use it in my paper to show the affects of fluoride and
arsenic in rats. This would be vital because it is not ethical to test
potentially hazardous substances on humans and the animal model is
the only way scientists can see what the effects are.
Barrett, Julia R. "Arsenic Exposure And The Western Diet."
Environmental Health Perspectives 124.2 (2016): A39. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
In this experiment the researchers tested various levels of arsenic on
rats, they also fed the rats a diet that would be the rat equivalent of a
western diet, or a diet that was high in fats. The rats experienced all
kinds of health problems as an effect of their diet mixed with the
arsenic. This is extremely important information to incorporate into my
paper because although this is an animal model the information can
still be applied to humans.
Choi, Anna L., et al. "Association Of Lifetime Exposure To Fluoride And Cognitive
Functions In Chinese Children: A Pilot Study." Neurotoxicology & Teratology 47.
(2015): 96-101. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Feb. 2016.
The research team found inhabitants of a rural town in China that have been exposed to a
significantly high level of fluoride in their well water. The researchers had various levels
in the experiment and all of the children were tested using various different cognitive
tests to see the impact of different levels of fluoride on the developing mind. The
researchers also took samples of the levels of fluoride present in their bodies and a

sample of the well water from each of their homes to compare the children to other
children in the experiment within the same fluoride ranges. This information is important
because this is the only way researchers can test the actual impact of fluoride on the
human mind in an ethical manner, because it is against all standards of ethics to actually
implement hazardous conditions on people.
"Technical Fact Sheet: Final Rule for Arsenic in Drinking Water." EPA. United States
Government, Jan. 2001. Web. Feb. 2016. <http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPdf.cgi?
Dockey=20001XXE.txt>.
The EPA published this information to the public in 2002, it stated that the regulation for
arsenic was going to decreased, meaning that there would be significantly less arsenic
present in the water sources of over a million residents of the US. Arsenic is found in
various forms of poison, and ranked rather high in tap water related deaths. They went
over what that meant and who it would affect, and what potentially beneficial outcomes
could follow with the decreased levels of arsenic exposure, for example a smaller risk for
certain forms of cancer as well as a lower risk for various other diseases. This
information is important because it is a government source that recognizes that these
chemicals are bad for human consumption.
Novkov, Jaroslava, et al. "Lifetime Exposure To Low Doses Of Lead In Rats: Effect
On Selected Parameters Of Carbohydrate Metabolism." Toxicology & Industrial
Health 31.5 (2015): 448-458. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Feb. 2016.
This study tested the effects of nonlethal doses of lead in the water of rats during the
duration of their life. Their findings suggested that with the incorporation of lead in the

water, even at levels that were not necessarily lethal, there were significant changes to the
life expectancy of these rats as well as their body weight and various other aspects of
their lives. This is important because it shows that there is a significant link between
levels of lead, even at small doses, and the life expectancy and health of these animals.
Which can in turn be used to show the impact of lead on humans as well.

Murai, Iori, et al. "Effects Of High Potassium Chloride Supplementation On Water Intake
And Bodyweight Gains In Pregnant And Lactating Mice." Animal Science Journal
84.6 (2013): 502-507. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
This experiment was done on pregnant and nursing mother rats, they administered levels
of potassium chloride in the water of these animals, the results show that there is a
significant link between potassium chloride and body weight issues and hydration. This is
important for my stance on my paper because it involves the affects of the compound and
it is a component commonly found in various forms of human drinking water.