Chlorine Concerns
In 1854 the cholera epidemic was discovered to be spread through water contamination. A British scientist, John Snow, applied chlorine to a water pump that had been contaminated by sewage, this act led to modern day water disinfection. Today chlorine is widely used in this process.
- Why do we Chlorinate?
- Chlorination creates Disinfection "By-Products".
- How DBPs can cause Miscarriages and Birth Defects.
- How DBPs can cause Cancer.
- Do I have DBPs in my water?
- Should we stop Chlorinating?
- A Lack of Disinfection
- How to get a Low Cost or Free Water Test
Why do we chlorinate drinking water?
Chlorine is added to drinking water to kill or inactivate harmful organisms that cause various diseases. This process is called disinfection. For many years, the benefits of using chlorine to disinfect water supplies were virtually undisputed. Even today 98% of U.S. drinking water is still purified by chlorine.
Disinfection “By-Products” – the downside of Chlorination
Chlorine is a very active substance and it reacts with naturally occurring organic substances in our water (sticks, leaves, dirt, etc) to form compounds known as disinfection by-products (DBPs). The EPA first studied DBPs in 1974. Since then, numerous studies have concluded a multitude of health risks from DBP exposure; ranging from miscarriage to cancer. EPA scientists have identified a total of 600 disinfection by-products in tap water across the U.S. but the EPA has set legal limits for only 11 so far.
Chlorination By-Products in Tap Water generate Concern
Fox 5 News – Washington D.C. - Chlorination by-products found at potentially dangerous levels in public water, especially to pregnant women.
Chlorination By-Products at High Levels
WUSA 9 News - uncovers how Disinfection By-Products may present considerable health risk, even when in compliance with EPA guidelines.
This news story shines light on the following facts:
- Your water can exceed the EPA safe dosage for DBPs for days or months at a time.
- Pregnant women or children are at an especially high risk.
Health Risks of Chlorine/DBPs
These links are just a few of the numerous studies published about chlorine, DBPs and their related health risks.
Chlorine causes Miscarriages and Birth Defects:
- Trihalomethanes (a class of DBP) linked to Spontaneous Abortion (ARTICLE)
- Relation between Stillbirths and Chlorination By-Products (ARTICLE)
Chlorine and increased Cancer Risk:
- DBPs shown to be carcinogenic, attacking the liver and kidneys (ARTICLE)
- Bladder Cancer risk increases with Chlorinated Water (ARTICLE)
- Rectal Cancer, Chlorinated water and DBPs (ARTICLE)
Do I have Disinfection By-Products (DBPs) in my water?
It depends on where your water comes from. If your city pulls its water from rivers, lakes, reservoirs or other surface sources; your water is more likely to contain DBPs, and in higher concentrations.
This is because surface sources have more organic substances in them (sticks, leaves, fish, etc). Additionally, surface water sources are more in need of greater disinfection due to their open exposure. More Disinfection (Chlorine) + More Organic matters = More DBPs.
Cities that pull their source water from wells are more likely to have fewer DBPs, for the same reasons outlined above. Fewer organic matter + Lesser need for disinfection (and less chlorine) = Fewer DBPs.
Should we stop Chlorinating?
We should reduce chlorination, but not disinfection. Disinfection is critical to water safety, but chlorination is not the only way to do it. Many other countries use a combination of chlorination and other disinfection methods in order to reduce the DBPs to safer levels.
But above all, water must be disinfected. For an enraging, heart-wrenching story of what happens when water is not disinfected, please watch this video. It is NationalWaterCouncil.org’s belief that our men and women of the armed services deserve much, much better than this.
Dangerously Contaminated Water being provided to our troops in Iraq
How to get a Low Cost or Free Water Test
At any time during your browsing of NationalWaterCouncil.org, you can register to have your local NWC Certified Partner conduct a Free Water Analysis or Low Cost Lead Screening.
