Chlorine in Water Treatment
Chlorine is a common disinfectant that is widely used for water disinfection. Chlorine’s disinfecting properties has made it useful in providing clean and safe tap water for many homes and communities. However, chlorine in water also has its own set of health risks. Because of this, it is advantageous to know the different ways to remove chlorine from water or entirely replace the application of chlorine in treating water.
Why There’s Chlorine in Water
Chlorine in water is well known and widely used as a disinfectant. The application of chlorine is effective for deactivating various pathogenic microorganisms – mostly bacteria or viruses, which cause illness. Chlorine is usually added into public water supplies in order to kill different bacteria present in the water or the water pipes. These bacteria can be hazardous to human health. Aside from disinfecting water, chlorine is also used to disinfect various home and hospital areas and bleach fabrics. These different applications of chlorine have been in use for over two centuries.
The Health Risks of Chlorine in Water
All of the disinfecting qualities of Chlorine come with a price though. It has been identified that chlorine in water reacts with different naturally-occurring components which cause it to form into toxins called trihalomethanes (THM). There has been a connection seen between THMs and disease like asthma, eczema, heart diseases and bladder cancer. Dr. Peter Montague from the Environmental Research Foundation has enumerated a number of studies that have shown that pregnant women who drink chlorinated tap water in moderate to large amounts are at a high risk of suffering miscarriages and birth defects.
Ways to Remove Chlorine in Water
A carbon filter is proving to be an effective device for removing chlorine, toxins like THMs and other harmful contaminants from water. Another benefit of using a carbon filter is that it is cheaper compared to other electronic filters but produces the same good quality water. There is also a simpler way of removing chlorine and other compounds from water without the need for a home filtration system. This involves placing water in an uncovered container and leaving it for 24 hours inside the refrigerator.
Alternatives to Using Chlorine in Water
Although resolving water contamination and cleaning up watersheds is proving to be a challenging ordeal, there are alternatives to using chlorine as a form of water treatment. Dr. Peter Montague also shares that a number of Canadian and European cities are using ozone to disinfect their water instead of chlorinating it. Cities in the United States like Las Vegas and Santa Clara are also switching to this alternative. We could all become healthier by switching away from using chlorine in water.
