When it's scorching hot out this summer, you may want to think twice before drinking from the garden hose.

A new study released by the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, M.I., on HealthyStuff.org found that the water from common garden hoses is chock full of toxic materials that could harm the human body.

Lead is found in the brass fixtures at the mouth of gardening hoses and, out of the of 90 garden hoses screened, 33 percent of products contained levels of lead that exceeded those considered safe for children.

Garden hoses are not regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which monitors the nation's public drinking supply. The study's findings showed that levels of lead in water coming from garden hoses they tested exceeded legal safe levels 100 percent of the time.

But lead wasn't the only dangerous material found in the water. According to the study, the water also contained plastic additives including phthalates —or plasticizers — and bisphenol A (BPA) that were "found to migrate out of the hose material into water contained in the hose."

The Food and Drug Administration defines BPA as an industrial chemical used to make hard, clear plastic. According to the FDA website, the National Institutes of Health is concerned with the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children.

The study found levels of BPA at 20 times higher than those of safe drinking water levels.

The study reported that 100 percent of the garden hoses sampled contained several plasticizers currently banned in children's products. According to Health Stuff, consumption of these hazardous plasticizers can disturb normal hormonal processes and are linked to birth defects, altered levels of reproductive hormones, increased breast cancer risk, and asthma.

Though you'd likely have to drink a fair amount of affected garden hose water to see health consequences, the Ecology Center warns that even low levels of lead may create health problems.

Garden hoses containing lead typically will have warnings on their packaging and others will indicate if they are lead-free.

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  • List and captions courtesy of the EPA

    1. <a href="http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.es_at_home" target="_hplink">Energy Savings For Your Home</a> <br> The average home spends almost 20 percent of its utility bill on cooling. These cooling bills can be lowered by simply changing out incandescent light bulbs with EPA's Energy Star qualified lighting, which use less energy and produce approximately 75 percent less heat. Raising your thermostat by only two degrees and using your ceiling fan can lower cooling costs by up to 14 percent too.

  • 2. Increase Your Gas Mileage

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  • 4. Heading To The Beach? Check The Water.

    Americans take almost two billion trips to the beach every year. Beaches are a place to play, watch wildlife, fish, and swim. Learn more on how to plan a safe trip to the beach and check out state specific beach advisory and closing notifications.

  • 5. Take EPA's Apps With You On Your Smartphone

    The AirNow app gives location-specific current air quality information to use to protect your health when planning daily activities and the Ultraviolet (UV) Index app provides daily and hourly forecast of the UV radiation levels from the sun so you can better prevent overexposure to the sun.

  • 6. Enjoy The Outdoors And Capture The State Of The Environment

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    If you're going to wash the car, deck, boat, or RV- be sure to look for the Design for the Environment (DfE) label to quickly identify and choose cleaning products that are safer for families and also help protect the environment. Look for the DfE label on grill cleaners as well.

  • 10. Improve Your Indoor Air

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  • 13. Season Firewood

    Summer is a great time to season firewood in preparation for fall and winter. Remember to split firewood to the proper size for your wood stove or fireplace, but no larger than 6 inches in diameter; stack firewood to allow air to circulate around it; cover the top of the stack to protect it from the rain; and store your firewood for at least 6 months before using it.

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  • 15. Let Summer Inspire You And Submit Six Words For The Planet

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