Water filtration: Chlorine in the drinking water |
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Clean, safe water is essential to our daily health. Unfortunately, contaminated water in many parts of the world still spreads deadly diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera, and infectious hepatitis. Chlorination of water is considered to be one of the most important public health measures, resulting in huge decreases in death by infectious diseases. Chlorine is a popular water disinfectant, commonly added to the public water supply to kill or inactivate bacteria and other disease-causing microorganisms. It is inexpensive with a long-lasting disinfecting action that works by leaving a residue behind. The chemical residue keeps microorganisms from regrowing after the water has left the treatment facility and prevents slimy growths in wells, pipes, and storage facilities. Chlorine has been shown to be very effective for preventing outbreaks of infectious waterborne disease, but unfortunately, chlorine leaves behind taste and odour that many people find unpleasant. More importantly, chlorine in the water chemically reacts with natural organic substances in the drinking water to form “disinfection byproducts.” The amount of these harmful chemicals known as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) increases as the amount of chlorine added to the water increases. Medical authorities recommend reducing the concentration of these chemicals, which have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals and are suspected to cause cancer and miscarriages in humans. Chloroform is one example of a THM found in drinking water—mice given doses of chloroform suffer liver damage, cell death, and eventually cancer. Concern about the long-term health effects of these chemicals is growing as more research results become available. Too Much? Accidents in water treatment plants can elevate the levels of disinfection byproducts to even more unhealthy levels than normal. In May 2007, a chlorination plant in Norfolk had to be shut down for 12 days after high levels of chlorine were detected in the water, forcing the authorities to inspect the instruments and flush out the system. In the same year, several other treatment plants in Maida Vale and Oxford City also released too much chlorine into the water, making it unsafe for bathing or drinking. These accidental releases of excessive chlorine were not isolated incidents. During stormy weather, loss of power at water treatment plants can frequently cause important instruments to shut down, making it impossible to accurately monitor the chlorine concentrations in the water released. The Remedy Installing water filters in your home can remove the bad odour and taste of chlorine as well as chlorine disinfection byproducts, eliminating these dangerous chemicals from your drinking water. The combination of chlorinated water AND water filters produces safe, clean water for you and your family. References Chlorine Chemistry Council. Drinking water chlorination. 2003. Available at: http://www.waterandhealth.org/drinkingwater/dwwp.pdf. Accessed January 9, 2009. Wilkes University Center for Environmental Quality. Chlorination of drinking water: private well owner guide. Available at: http://www.water-research.net/watertreatment/chlorination.html. Accessed January 9, 2009. Drinking Water Inspectorate. Incidents in England and Wales 2007. Available at: http://www.dwi.gov.uk/pubs/annrep07/Incidents2007.pdf. Accessed January 9, 2009 Washington State Department of Health Division of Environmental Health. Chlorination of drinking water. 2004. Available at: http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/publications/chlorination_of_drinking_water.htm. Accessed January 10, 2009. |
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