1. Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) – Trihalomethanes & Haloacetic Acids

  • Formed when chlorine reacts with organic material.
  • Commonly elevated in municipal systems that chlorinate.
  • Linked in the research to:
    • DNA damage
    • Reproductive issues
    • Increased cancer risk
    • Low birth weight & miscarriage

DBPs = oxidation burden + liver detox strain.
Bad combo for patients with fatigue, hormone issues, cancer history, or impaired glutathione pathways.

2. Chromium-6 (Hexavalent Chromium)

  • Classified as known carcinogen.
  • Not regulated separately—only lumped into “total chromium.”
  • Often present in small but meaningful concentrations in Illinois groundwater systems due to geology and industrial legacy.

Mitochondrial damage → oxidative stress → impaired healing, fatigue, inflammation.

3. Nitrate (Fertilizer & agricultural runoff)

  • Common in Midwest well-fed systems.
  • Linked to:
    • Thyroid dysfunction
    • Colorectal cancer
    • Methemoglobinemia in infants
    • Nitrosative stress
  • Increases metabolic + oxidative burden.
  • Higher risk in people with MTHFR, B12 deficiency, or poor detox.

4. Lead (Variable by home plumbing)

  • Not always present at the plant level, but very common at the tap due to older service lines.
  • Edwardsville has many pre-1990 homes.


There is no biological safe level of lead for a child or a pregnant woman.
Even micro-doses affect:

  • IQ
  • memory
  • neurological development
  • blood pressure