Objective Assessment of an Ionic Footbath (IonCleanse): Testing Its Ability to Remove Potentially Toxic Elements from the Body
Table 4
Changes in element concentrations in tap water after running the machine without feet.
Elements (μg/L)
Pre-FBS ()
Post-FBS ()
Post-FBS–Pre-FBS
P value
Mean ± Std dev
Mean ± Std dev
Difference ± Std dev
%change
Aluminum§
93.75 ± 11.35
105.00 ± 18.95
14.17 ± 12.22
15.1
0.257
Antimony§
0.75 ± 0.50
1.83 ± 0.41
1.00 ± 0.63
133.3
0.038
Arsenic§
1.00 ± 0.00
5.50 ± 0.84
4.50 ± 0.84
450.0
0.010
Barium§
20.00 ± 0.00
25.00 ± 5.48
5.00 ± 5.48
25.0
0.333
Boron†
35.00 ± 5.77
36.67 ± 5.16
3.33 ± 5.16
9.5
0.905
Cadmium§
0.50 ± 1.00
6.50 ± 1.64
5.50 ± 2.43
1,100.0
0.010
Calcium†
39,255.00 ± 1,354.51
39,843.33 ± 906.15
1,206.67 ± 893.37
3.1
0.609
Chromium‡
3.50 ± 1.29
17,289.67 ± 4,240.36
17,286.67 ± 4,239.65
493,904.7
0.010
Cobalt‡
1.00 ± 0.00
249.17 ± 44.02
248.17 ± 44.02
24,816.6
0.010
Copper‡
465.00 ± 46.55
723.33 ± 93.31
253.33 ± 64.39
54.5
0.010
Iron‡
213.50 ± 183.72
88,689.17 ± 17,460.59
88,388.17 ± 17,532.11
41,399.6
0.010
Lead§
2.75 ± 1.71
3.17 ± 1.17
0.33 ± 1.37
12.1
0.676
Lithium†
0.00 ± 0.00
1.17 ± 2.86
1.17 ± 2.86
0.0
0.800
Magnesium†
10,720.00 ± 437.34
11,025.00 ± 561.31
405.00 ± 427.73
3.7
0.476
Manganese‡
5.25 ± 0.50
1,240.17 ± 212.04
1,235.00 ± 211.83
23,523.8
0.010
Molybdenum‡
47.50 ± 18.36
2,559.83 ± 440.07
2,505.17 ± 438.10
5,274.0
0.010
Nickel‡
3.25 ± 2.50
11,623.17 ± 2,076.03
11,621.00 ± 2,075.55
357,569.2
0.010
Phosphorus†
16.75 ± 15.73
48.50 ± 28.03
37.33 ± 21.73
222.9
0.114
Potassium†
2,052.50 ± 235.28
2,146.67 ± 190.23
−11.67 ± 163.64
−0.6
0.610
Selenium†
0.75 ± 0.50
0.50 ± 0.55
0.00 ± 0.00
0.0
0.905
Silicon‡
742.50 ± 120.93
1,805.00 ± 204.52
1,003.33 ± 170.37
135.1
0.010
Silver§
0.00 ± 0.00
0.00 ± 0.00
0.00 ± 0.00
0.0
0.000
Sodium†
77,622.50 ± 41,701.87
101,911.67 ± 9,916.69
19,190.00 ± 38,454.88
24.7
0.114
Strontium†
200.50 ± 4.80
202.83 ± 7.88
3.17 ± 10.94
1.6
0.114
Sulfur†
6,245.00 ± 1,537.15
6,178.33 ± 1,234.35
−628.33 ± 1,253.99
−10.1
0.914
Uranium§
0.00 ± 0.00
0.00 ± 0.00
0.00 ± 0.00
0.0
0.000
Vanadium†
1.00 ± 0.00
43.50 ± 11.71
42.50 ± 11.71
4,250.0
0.010
Zinc†
22.50 ± 9.57
35.00 ± 17.61
16.67 ± 10.33
74.1
0.543
Total
137,771.75 ± 43,704.77
285,799.67 ± 27,823.80
142,837.17 ± 36,748.30
103.7
0.010
Array components‡
1,481.50 ± 334.61
124,179.50 ± 24,547.41
122,540.83 ± 24,659.98
8,271.4
0.010
Essential elements†
136,171.50 ± 43,506.28
161,473.17 ± 10,605.21
20,265.83 ± 39,878.15
14.9
0.171
PTEs§
118.75 ± 11.53
147.00 ± 25.42
30.50 ± 19.85
25.7
0.133
§PTEs: potentially toxic elements were defined to be aluminium, antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, lead, silver, and uranium. †Essential elements were defined to be boron, calcium, lithium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium, strontium, sulphur, vanadium, and zinc. ‡Array components were defined to be chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and silicon. Bold indicates a statistically significant difference, (Mann-Whitney U-test).