Danger of excessive chlorine in water

These days, we the people who live in India, face a strange problem. Excess chlorine in water.

The water we drink is smelling of chlorine like hell. It was reported earlier by research conducted here   that  the drinking water here contains excess chlorine. Is it dangerous? People are asking me. So let me explain.

Chlorine is a naturally occurring element. It's a very dangerous toxin that has many uses, from disinfecting to bleaching. In small quantities, liquid and gas forms can be poisonous. In its gas form, chlorine is a pale green colour and has a smelly odour and makes your breathing laboured. In its solid form, it's more of a yellow green colour. It is abundant in nature in its chloride ion form found in many of the salts that are in the earth. Many animals, including humans need chlorine. But there is a limit to what we can physically tolerate.

Chlorine has long been used to disinfect our drinking water because it controls the growth of harmful bacteria. It is also used because it is a cheapest way of  disinfecting water. You have to be careful because of this and  take precautions even when showering or drinking tap water.  Common Exposures to Chlorine include absorption through skin from water and from the air,  drinking & eating and breathing in the fumes that chlorine can create.

Research has shown that long‐term exposure to chlorine leads to the production of free radicals within the body. Free radicals are carcinogenic, and cause tremendous damage to our cells. And ... this is more important - the risk of developing cancer is 93% higher in people who drink or are otherwise exposed to chlorinated water (1,2). Chlorine is a potential health hazard to both children and adults, and it is an issue that should be taken quite seriously.

According to a Belgian study that was released in 2003, certain irritants called trichloramines are released any time chlorinated water reacts with organic materials (such as sweat or urine) from people (2). Trichloramines are believed to initiate a biological process that effectively destroys the cellular barriers surrounding the lungs. Children exposed to large amounts of chlorine could potentially suffer asthmatic attacks. In one research study, rats exposed to chlorine and chloramines developed tumors in their kidneys and intestines.

Mixing drinking water with chlorine, the most common method of disinfecting drinking water, creates previously unidentified toxic byproducts according to new research (3). Phenols, which are chemical compounds that occur naturally in the environment and are abundant in personal care porducts  and pharmaceuticals, are commonly found in drinking water. When these phenols mix with chlorine, the process creates a large number of byproducts. Current analytical chemistry methods, however, are unable to detect and identify all of these byproducts, some which may be harmful and can cause long-term health consequences. In this  experiment the researchers found the compounds 2-butene-1,4-dial (BDA) and chloro-2-butene-1,4-dial (or BDA with chlorine attached). BDA is a very toxic compound and a known carcinogen.

According to the U.S. Council Of Environmental Quality, “Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine.” Breast cancer has recently been linked to the accumulation of chlorine compounds in the breast tissue. A study carried out in Hartford Connecticut, the first of its kind in North America, found that, “women with breast cancer have 50% to 60% higher levels of organochlorines (chlorination byproducts) in their breast tissue than women without breast cancer.” Bladder cancer is another risk associated with chlorine.

One of the most shocking components to all of these studies is that up to two-thirds of our harmful exposure to chlorine is due to inhalation of steam and skin absorption while showering. A warm shower opens up the pores of the skin and allows for accelerated absorption of chlorine and other chemicals in water. The steam we inhale while showering can contain up to 50 times the level of chemicals than tap water due to the fact that chlorine and most other contaminants vapourize much faster and at a lower temperature than water. Inhalation is a much more harmful means of exposure since the chlorine gas (chloroform) we inhale goes directly into our blood stream. When we drink contaminated water the toxins are partially filtered out by our kidneys and digestive system. Chlorine vapours are known to be a strong irritant to the sensitive tissue and bronchial passages inside our lungs.  The inhalation of chlorine is a suspected cause of asthma and bronchitis, especially in children… which has increased 300% in the last two decades. 

Other harmful effects of chlorine are liver damage, birth defects because of mutations caused by the chemical, weight loss, eye irritation, skin diseases like eczema, rashes, itchy, flaky scalp, hypertension, low BP, high cholesterol in blood and stroke. Acute chlorine poisoning can cause chest pain, vomiting, nausea, cough, and edema.   

Aside from all the health risks related to chlorine in our water, it is the primary cause of bad taste and odour in drinking water. The bad taste causes many people to turn to other less healthful beverages like soft drinks, tea or other sweetened drinks. A decreased intake of water, for any reason, can only result in a lower degree of health. The good news is that chlorine is one of the easiest substances to remove from our water. For that reason it logically should serve its purpose of keeping our water free from harmful bacteria and water borne diseases right up to the time of consumption. 

So stop drinking water that contains (smells heavily of ) chlorine. Bring pressure on your Governments to regulate use of excessive chlorine in drinking water.

You too can do your bit to remove chlorine from your drinking water.

Chlorine can be removed by quality home water filtration.

If you water contains only chlorine and not chloramine, you can let it sit for 24 hours and the chlorine will dissipate into the environment.

If you water contains only chlorine and not chloramine, you can drive the chlorine off by boiling the water for  a few minutes.

A charcoal filter can strip your tap water of chlorine and chloramine, block carbon filters are necessary for effective removal.

Citations:

1. Dangers of Chlorine. http://curezone.com/art/read.asp?ID=21&db=3&CO=7. Jerry Smith. Accessed 29 May 2008.

2.  Dangers of Chlorine? http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA361110. Dr. Andrew Weil.

3. https://phys.org/news/2020-01-toxic-byproducts-disinfecting.html?ut...