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Subject:
From:
Brian Cameron <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 16 Oct 2001 17:33:17 -0400
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<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thank you to everyone who replied to my question
regarding tap water.  For those who missed it, I asked
about the possibility of tap water being contaminated
with gluten.  I raised the question because of an
article I had read in which it was reported that
Environment Canada is implementing testing to
determine if chemicals and other contaminants are
present in tap water.  Concentrations of chemicals in
water intake areas caused them to take this action.

A few people said that they refused to drink tap water
because it smelled and tasted funny, or because they
were concerned about what is in it.  One person
pointed out that not all jurisdictions require bottled
water to be tested, so tap water may be safer.

One person was sure that small quantities of gluten
are present in tap water (in addition to other
toxins).  This person felt that the quantities would
be so small as to be harmless.

One person pointed out that the "dilution factor" in
rivers is enormous and, in the water intake process at
filtration plants, the concentrations of gluten
entering the system would be minute. Similarly, the
majority of the people felt that there is no way that
gluten would ever survive the water treatment process,
and even if some did, the parts per million would be
so low as to have no effect on our health, and to be
undetectable.

During the water treatment process, heat will cause
the protein to unravel and chemicals will easily
denature or destroy it.  A water treatment
professional assured me that carbon filtration would
remove gluten and other organic chemicals.  Ozonation
and natural bio-degradation by specific bacteria are
other processes that will eliminate gluten.  Another
person said: "Gluten itself is insoluble in water and
gliadins are not very soluble.  Between the biological
breakdown and the low solubility plus the large size
of the molecules (which means they are more likely to
get filtered out by soil processes), it is very
unlikely that any could get into the water."

If you are still not convinced, one person suggested
that a commerically-available filter (such as Brita)
will easily remove gluten--a large protein
molecule--in the unlikely case that it could survive.

Thanks for the answers.

Brian

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