How much hydration you need varies from person to person, depending on your health, activity level, and the climate you’re in. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:
These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages and food. About 20 percent of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks. And the adage to drink eight glasses of water a day, while not up to Academy standards, still stands as a reasonable goal.
While drinking any fluid helps, water remains the best hydrator. Sodas and sports drinks contain sugar or sugar substitutes. New studies suggest those substitutes may have negative effects on the body by tricking your system into thinking it’s taken on real sugar. That’s counterproductive to weight and blood sugar management. And caffeinated beverages act as a diuretic, causing you to lose fluids at a faster rate. Again, however, drinking any fluid (except an excess of alcohol) is better than not hydrating at all.
So why all the fluids? According to the Mayo Clinic:
Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 50 to 70 percent of your body weight. Your body depends on water to survive.
Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to work properly. For example, water:
• Gets rid of wastes through urination, perspiration and bowel movements
• Keeps your temperature normal
• Lubricates and cushions joints
• Protects sensitive tissues
Lack of water can lead to dehydration — a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.
Water quality
Speaking of hydration, we’d be remiss not to mention what in some parts of the world, water contamination or a lack of water altogether is a humanitarian crisis. Many developing countries face a lack of fresh water, leading to dire distress. Around the world, 703 million people lack access to clean water. That's 1 in 10 people on the planet. This issue is so important that the United Nations designated March 22 as annual World Water Day to highlight the importance of fresh water and advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Each year’s theme focuses on topics relevant to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
In addition to water scarcity, water pollution is another major issue. According to the World Health Organization:
Drinking Water Standards & Regulations
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets forth standards and regulations for many different contaminants in public drinking water, including disease-causing germs and chemicals. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was passed by Congress in 1974 to protect our drinking water. Under the SDWA, the EPA sets the standards for drinking water quality and monitors states, local authorities, and water suppliers who enforce those standards. Gain more information on EPA drinking water standards and regulations here. By the way, the SDWA does not apply to bottled water. Bottled water is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, not the EPA.
EPA Method 524
According to an EPA paper, “Method 524. Measurement of Purgeable Organic Compounds in Drinking Water by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry,” EPA Method 524 is a general purpose method that provides procedures for identification and measurement of purgeable organic compounds in finished drinking water, raw source water, or drinking water in any treatment stage. The method is applicable to a wide range of organic compounds that have sufficiently high volatility and low water solubility to be removed from water samples with Purge & Trap procedures..
Volatile Organic Compounds
According to the EPA, VOCs are common ground-water contaminants, with low water solubility. VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects when they leach into drinking water.
Many VOCs are human-made chemicals that are used and produced in the manufacture of paints, pharmaceuticals, and refrigerants. VOCs typically are industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene; fuel oxygenates, such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE); or by-products produced by chlorination in water treatment, such as chloroform. VOCs are often components of petroleum fuels, hydraulic fluids, paint thinners, and dry-cleaning agents.
Laboratories use a variety of techniques and instruments to test water and wastewater for contaminants. For example, Teledyne LABS’ Tekmar brand has been a leader in the design and manufacture of instruments for testing water and wastewater for decades, with a focus on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
Tekmar’s history dates back to 1960. Since creating the first commercial Purge & Trap concentrator in 1975, Tekmar has been synonymous with innovative, quality products for VOC analysis that increase the productivity of end user analytical laboratories worldwide.
Purge & Trap instruments for Gas Chromatography Sample Prep
For gas chromatography preparation and introduction, Teledyne LABS’ Tekmar brand offers Purge & Trap instruments to prepare samples for introduction and separation. These accurate, durable and dependable instruments fully comply with EPA 524 Methodology. Purge & Trap is routinely applied to detect VOCs down to sub-ppb levels in soil and water.
The EPA stipulates Purge & Trap guidelines for analysis of VOCs in drinking water, wastewater and soil samples. “Purge & Trap” is used in conjunction with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to separate and detect VOCs in drinking water, wastewater and soil samples in the lab.
The Fundamentals of Purge & Trap
Gas Chromatography Sample Prep/Purge & Trap Webinar Archive
Application Notes
Below are just a few of more than 20 Tekmar Application Notes regarding Purge & Trap, drinking water and the EPA’s 524 series of standards and practices. To find them, visit the Document Library at www.teledynelabs.com, choose Document Type Application Note and either Product Atomx XYZ or Lumin. The Atomx XYZ is the second-generation combined soil/water autosampler and Purge & Trap concentrator system in the Tekmar VOC product family. The Lumin Purge & Trap Concentrator builds on seven previous generations, making Tekmar the industry’s cornerstone of the Purge & Trap process and support.
Fonts of knowledge
National Hydration Day is a time to recognize the importance of water to our health and wellbeing. If you’ve been falling short of your daily allowance of hydrating fluids, it’s a good day to start a healthy new habit. Beyond its original intent, it can also be a day to consider what we can do to assure a sustainable future for water supplies and how we can help those less fortunate to obtain this precious commodity.
For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Water, Hydration, and Health page at www.nutrition.gov. Regarding water-testing instruments and information created by Teledyne LABS, we invite you to visit www.teledynelabs.com.
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