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CHLORINE IN WATER

We select some articles from internet. All says that chlorine is not friendly to our health.

Dangers of Chlorine

If you are not convinced about the dangers of chlorine in your tap water, here's an extract from: Dr Z Rona MD MSc "Most people never give it a thought. After all, our elected public officials keep assuring us that chlorinated city tap water is completely safe for human consumption. Numerous scientific studies report that chlorinated tap water is a skin irritant and can be associated with rashes like eczema. Chlorinated water can destroy polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E in the body while generating toxins capable of free radical damage (oxidation). This might explain why supplementation of the diet with essential fatty acids like flax seed oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil and antioxidants like vitamin E, selenium and others helps so many cases of eczema and dry skin.

"Chlorinated water destroys much of the intestinal flora, the friendly bacteria that help in the digestion of food and which protects the body from harmful pathogens. These bacteria are also responsible for the manufacture of several important vitamins like vitamin B12 and vitamin K. It is not uncommon for chronic skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, seborrhea and eczema to clear up or to be significantly improved by switching to unchlorinated drinking water and supplementing the diet with lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus.

"Chlorinated water contains chemical compounds called trihalomethanes which are carcinogens resulting from the combination of chlorine with compounds in water. These chemicals, also known as organochlorides, do not degrade very well and are generally stored in the fatty tissues of the body (breast, other fatty areas, mother's milk, blood and semen). Organochlorides can cause mutations by altering DNA, suppress immune system function and interfere with the natural controls of cell growth.

"Chlorine has been documented to aggravate asthma, especially in those children who make use of chlorinated swimming pools. Several studies also link chlorine and chlorinated by-products to a greater incidence of bladder, breast and bowel cancer as well as malignant melanoma. One study even links the use of chlorinated tap water to congenital cardiac anomalies.

"Anything you can do to filter tap and shower water that eliminates or even minimizes chlorine would certainly be helpful and possibly curative for some immune system problems. The use of at source water filtration devices is increasingly popular and affordable. Discuss their use with your health care practitioner".

References:

Fackelman, K.A., Hints of a chlorine-cancer connection. Science News

Flaten, T.P., Chlorination of drinking water and cancer incidence in Norway. International Journal of Epidermiology.

Messina V., Chlorine and cancer. Good Medicine

Dr. Zoltan P. Rona is a graduate of McGill University Medical School (1977) and has a Master's Degree in Biochemistry and Clinical Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut (1985). He is the author of the Canadian bestsellers, "The Joy of Health" and "Return to the Joy of Health". He is a past president of the Canadian Holistic Medical Association and is a consultant on nutritional medicine to the Motherisk Program of the Department of Pharmacology of the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. Born 22/2/51 in Budapest, Hungary; raised in Montreal, Quebec. Canadian citizen.

Zoltan P. Rona MD MSc

***

Chlorine Alert

Public water treatment systems rely on chlorine to kill harmful bacteria. Until recently, concerns about drinking water focused on eliminating pathogens. Chlorination of drinking water was a major factor in the reduction in the mortality rates associated with waterborne pathogens. The use of chlorine was believed to be safe until recent years, when halogenated organic compounds, such as chloroform, were identified in chlorinated drinking water supplies. Recent surveys show that these compounds are common in water supplies throughout the North America. These concerns about cancer risks associated with chemical contamination from chlorination by-products have resulted in numerous epidemiological studies. These studies generally support the notion that by-products of chlorination are associated with increased risk of cancer and other health problems. These risks arise from both drinking and bathing in chlorinated water.

Following are quotes from a variety of sources:

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, Jan 18, 2007 "Drinking, bathing or swimming in chlorinated water may increase the risk of bladder cancer, a new study shows." See article

U.S. COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY: "Cancer rates for people on chlorinated water systems is 93% higher than for those on non-chlorinated water systems..."

DR. J.M. PRICE, MD: "Cancer risks among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine."

NEW SCIENTIST 18 September 1986 - Ian Anderson "Studies indicates the suspect chemicals can also be inhaled and absorbed through the skin during showering and bathing." "Ironically, even the chlorine widely used to disinfect water produces Carcinogenic traces." "Though 7 out of 10 Americans drink chlorinated water, its safety over long term is uncertain." "Drinking chlorinated water may as much as double the risk of Bladder Cancer, which strikes 40,000 people a year."

U.S. NEWS &WORLD REPORT - July 29 1991 Is Your Water Safe--The Dangerous State of Your Water "A long hot shower can be dangerous. The toxic chemicals are inhaled in high concentrations."

HEALTH CANADA --"Several studies on humans have also found a link between long-term exposure to high levels of chlorination by-products and a higher risk of cancer. For instance, a recent study showed an increased risk of bladder and possibly colon cancer in people who drank chlorinated water for 35 years or more.

High levels of THMs (trihalomethanes) may also have an effect on pregnancy. A California study found that pregnant women who drank large amounts of tap water with high THMs had an increased risk of miscarriage. These studies do not prove that there is a link between THMs and cancer or miscarriage. However, they do show the need for further research in this area to confirm potential health effects."

CHLORINE AND YOUR SHOWER - Bruce Black "Taking long hot showers is a health risk, according to research presented last week in Anaheim California, at a meeting of the American Chemical Society--and to a lesser extent baths--lead to a greater exposure to toxic chemicals contained in water supplies than does drinking the water. The chemicals evaporate out of the water and are inhaled. They can also spread through the house and be inhaled by others. House holders can receive 6 to 100 times more of the chemical by breathing the air around showers and bath than they would by drinking the water"

BOTTOM LINE/August 87 - Dr. John Andelman, Ph.D.. "On one hand, chlorination has freed civilization form the constant dangers of waterborne epidemics. On the other hand in the mid--70's scientists discovered that chlorination could create carcinogens in water." "80% of the population drinks chlorinated water." "There was a higher incidence of cancer of the esophagus, rectum, breast, and larynx and of Hodgkin's Disease among those drinking chlorinated surface waters." "Volatile organics can evaporate from water in a shower or bath." "Conservative calculations indicate that inhalation exposure can be as significant as exposure from drinking the water, that is, one can be exposed to just as much by inhalation and/or dermal absorption."

IS YOUR WATER SAFE TO DRINK? - Consumer Reports Books "Skin absorption of contaminant has been underestimated and ingestion may not constitute the sole or even primary route of exposure.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH - Dr. Halina Brown "Showering is suspected as the primary cause of elevated levels of chloroform in nearly every home because of the chlorine in the water."

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - Dr. Lance Wallace "A Professor of Water Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh claims that exposure to vaporized chemicals in the water supplies through showering, bathing, and inhalation is 100 times greater than through drinking water." "As chlorine is added to kill pathogenic microorganisms, the highly reactive chlorine combines with fatty acids and carbon fragments to form a variety of toxic compounds, which comprise about 30% of the chlorination by--products." "During the mid-1970's monitoring efforts began to identify widespread toxic contamination of the nation's drinking water supplies, epidemiological studies began to suggest a link between ingestion of toxic chemicals in the water and elevated cancer mortality risks. Since those studies were completed a variety of additional studies have strengthened the statistical connection between consumption of toxins in water and elevated cancer risks. Moreover, this basic concern has been heightened by other research discoveries.

THE NADER REPORT - TROUBLED WATERS ON TAP - Center For Study of Responsive Law "The National Academy of Science estimate that 200 to 1000 people die in the United States each year from cancers caused by ingesting the contaminants in the water. The major health threat posed by these pollutants is far more likely to be from their inhalations as air pollutants. The reason that emissions are high is that because water droplets dispersed by the shower head have a larger surface--to--value ratio than water streaming into the bath."

SCIENCE NEWS, VOL. 130 - Janet Raloff "The cause of atherosclerosis and resulting heart attacks and strokes is none other than the ubiquitous chlorine in our drinking water."

CHEMISTRY AND CONTROL OF MODERN CHLORINATION - Dr. A.T. Palin, Ph.D..(O.B.E.) "Chlorine gas was despicably used during WWI. When the war was over, the use of chlorine was diverted to poisoning germs in our drinking water. All water supplies throughout the country were chlorinated. The combination of chlorine (when in drinking water) and animal fats results in atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and death."

WATER CAN UNDERMINE YOUR HEALTH - Dr. N.W. Walker, D.S. "Chlorine is the greatest crippler and killer of modern times. While it prevented epidemics of one disease, it was creating another. Two decades ago, after the start of chlorinating our drinking water in 1904. The present epidemic of heart trouble, cancer and senility began."

U.S. COUNCIL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY "Drinking tap water that is chlorinated is hazardous, if not deadly to your health."

HEALTHY WATER FOR A LONGER LIFE - Dr. Martin Fox "Known carcinogens are found in drinking water as a direct consequences of the practice of chlorination. A long established public health practice for the disinfection of drinking water."

MUNICIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORY - Francis T. Mayo, Director. "Chlorine is used almost universally in the treatment of public drinking water because of its toxic effect on harmful bacteria and other waterborne, disease-causing organisms. But there is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows that chlorine in drinking water may actually pose greater long term dangers than those for which it was used to eliminate.
These effects of chlorine may result from either ingestion or absorption through skin. Scientific studies have linked chlorine and chlorination by-products to cancer of the bladder, liver, rectum, and colon, as well as heart disease, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), anemia, high blood pressure, and allergic reactions. There is also evidence that shows that chlorine can destroy protein in our body and cause adverse effects on skin and hair. The presence of chlorine in the water may also contribute to the formation of chloramines in the water, which can cause taste and odor problems." "Since chlorine is required by public health regulations to be present in all public drinking water supplies, it is up to the individual to remove it at the point-of-use in the home."

HEALTH FREEDOM NEWS, Jan./Feb. 1987 "The drinking of chlorinated water has finally been officially linked to an increased incidence of colon cancer. An epidemiologist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities completed a study of colon cancer victims and non-cancer patients and concluded that the drinking of chlorinated water for 15 years or more was conducive to a high rate of colon cancer."

St. PAUL DISPATCH & PIONEER PRESS, Dec. 17, 1987: "Long-term drinking of chlorinated water appears to increase a person's risk of developing bladder cancer as much as 80%," according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Some 45,000 Americans are diagnosed every year with bladder cancer. Chlorine itself is not believed to be the problem. Scientists suspect that the actual cause of the bladder cancers is a group of chemicals that form as result of reactions between the chlorine and natural substances and pollutants in the water." (organic matter such as leaves and twigs.)

WWW. waterwarning.com: “Chlorine was first added to a community water system in 1908 in Chicago and was instrumental in eliminating many types of water-borne disease such as Cholera and Typhoid fever. Prior to chlorination, many major cities had death tolls of 1 in 1000 people from Typhoid alone. Chlorine has been used to disinfect municipal water for over 80 years and has had some positive effects on public health. In the 1970's it was discovered that chlorine, when added to water, forms Trihalomethanes (chlorinated by-products) by combining with certain naturally occurring organic matter such as vegetation and algae. In 1992 the American Journal of Public Health published a report that showed a 15% to 35% increase in certain types of cancer for people who consume chlorinated water. This report also stated that much of these effects were due to showering in chlorinated water. The National Cancer Institute estimates cancer risks for people who consume chlorinated water to be 93% higher than for people who do not. The effects of drinking chlorinated water have been debated for decades. However, most experts now agree that there are some significant risks related to consuming chlorine and chlorinated by-products.”

CHLORINATED WATER CAN AFFECT CANCER RISK - Epidemiology 1998;9(1):21-28, 29-35. Lifetime consumption of chlorinated tap water can more than double the risk of bladder and rectal cancers in certain individuals, two new studies conclude. Both studies examined the lifetime water-consumption patterns, diets and lifestyles of over 2,200 middle-aged and elderly Iowans suffering from either bladder, colon, or rectal cancers. Those profiles were then compared with those of a pool of nearly 2,000 healthy 'controls'.

Recent research has suggested that chlorine reacts with naturally-found organic compounds in water to form what the study authors call "chlorination byproducts." They say many of these byproducts are "mutagenic and/or carcinogenic." The first study found that smoking men who drank chlorinated tap water for more than 40 years faced double the risk of bladder cancer compared with smoking men who drank nonchlorinated water. Women who drank chlorinated water, on the other hand, had only slightly raised risks for bladder cancers, regardless of (their) smoking status.

The second study found that rates for rectal cancers for both sexes escalated with duration of consumption of chlorinated water. Individuals on low-fiber diets who also drank chlorinated water for over 40 years more than doubled their risk for rectal cancer, compared with lifetime drinkers of nonchlorinated water.

Similar differences were also found between the risk patterns of chlorinated-water drinkers who exercised at least once a week, and those who exercised just once a month, or less. Experts have long recommended regular exercise as one means of reducing one's risk of rectal and other cancers. The study found no link between the long-term consumption of chlorinated tap water and the incidence of colon cancer. This was not surprising, the researchers explain, since colon tumors have very different patterns of genesis and development compared with rectal tumors. They speculate that the source of chlorinated tap water may help determine its potential to promote cancers. Since surface water (such as that found in lakes and reservoirs) usually contains higher concentrations of organic compounds, the study authors say it is also more likely to contain higher levels of (potentially carcinogenic) chlorination byproducts, compared with water sourced from deep underground.

FROM: http://www.waterionizer.org/site/898596/page/453398

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Dangers Of Chlorinated Water

There were just over 4 million live births in the U.S. in 1992 (4,065,000, to be exact), according to the STATISTICAL ABSTRACT OF THE UNITED STATES 1997.[1] In addition to these live births, there were 30,000 fetal deaths in 1992, the most recent year for which we have data.[2] A fetal death is one that occurs after at least 20 weeks of gestation in the womb but prior to birth. In actuality, there were very likely more than 30,000 fetal deaths in 1992. The STATISTICAL ABSTRACT (table 124) says, "There is substantial evidence that not all fetal deaths for which reporting is required are reported." In any case, life expectancy at birth in the U.S. in 1992 was 75.8 years,[3] so fetal deaths that year resulted in the loss of at least 30,000 x 75.8 = 2.27 million person-years of life. In addition, of course, many of these 30,000 fetal deaths precipitated a personal crisis for the parents.

In addition to fetal deaths, there are spontaneous abortions -- pregnancies that terminate spontaneously before the end of the 20th week of gestation. These are far more common than fetal deaths, though the exact number is not known. Various studies estimate that spontaneous abortions occur in somewhere between 6.5% and 21% of all pregnancies.[4] Thus in 1992, there may have been at least 265,000 to 855,000 spontaneous abortions in the U.S.

Together, spontaneous abortions and fetal deaths are termed "miscarriages."

Recent studies indicate that some miscarriages --as well as some serious birth defects --may be caused by the chlorine added to drinking water as a disinfectant.

In the U.S., chlorine is added to public drinking water supplies as a public health measure to kill harmful bacteria in the water. The added chlorine reacts with naturally-occurring organic matter in the raw water (chiefly humic and fulvic acids), creating a host of chlorinated chemicals as by-products. Health agencies, including the federal EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] simply ignore most of these by- products and know almost nothing about them. Instead, they focus on four by-products, allowing these four to act as surrogates for all the others. The four that EPA pays attention to are chloroform, bromoform, bromodichloromethane, and chlorodibromomethane. Together, these four are called "trihalomethanes" or THMs. According to federal drinking water regulations, if a public water supply serving over 10,000 people contains more than 100 parts per billion (ppb) of total trihalomethanes, the water is unacceptable. However, since there are usually no other available sources of drinking water, EPA is usually not in a position to do anything except urge the water supplier to try to clean up its act.

A study by the California Department of Health published in March, 1998, tracked the drinking water consumption and the pregnancy outcomes of 5144 pregnant women in a prepaid health plan during the period 1989- 1991.[5] This was a prospective study --the drinking water consumption of the women was ascertained as soon as their pregnancy was registered in the study's database. Later, the outcome of their pregnancy was compared with the amount of water they drank and the total amount of trihalomethanes they received by drinking water (information received from the water companies). The study found that 16% of women drinking 5 or more glasses of water per day containing more than 75 ppb THMs had miscarriages, whereas only 9.5% of women drinking less water, or water lower in THMs, had miscarriages. Thus among women with high exposure to THMs in drinking water, the likelihood of spontaneous abortion was 1.8 times as great as it was among women with low exposure. Furthermore, spontaneous abortion occurred, on average, a week earlier among women with high exposure (10.2 vs. 11.2 weeks of gestation). The strength of this study was its prospective nature; it did not rely on women to remember how much water they drank in the past.

To see if their results represented a real effect, the researchers compared women who filtered their water, or who let the water stand before drinking it, with women who drank it straight from the tap. (THMs are volatile and will slowly leave water that is allowed to stand.) The results were consistent with THMs causing spontaneous abortion.

In January of this year, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry published a case-control study showing that serious birth defects --spina bifida, or neural tube defects --are associated with total trihalomethanes ingested in drinking water.[6] Neural tube defects are serious birth defects in which the spinal cord is not properly enclosed by bone.

This statewide study in New Jersey found a doubled risk of neural tube defects among those with the highest exposures to THMs in drinking water. This study pointed out that exposure to THMs can also occur through the contamination of indoor air. Flushing toilets, showering, and washing dishes and clothes, can inject THMs into household air, exposing residents.

A previous study of 75 New Jersey towns by Frank Bove had examined 80,938 live births and 594 fetal deaths that occurred during the period 1985-1988. This study examined public water company records and compared pregnancy outcomes to the amounts of THMs delivered to the home in drinking water. It did not examine the amount of water ingested. The study found no relationship to fetal deaths, but the likelihood of neural tube defects was tripled by exposure to THMs at levels exceeding 80 parts per billion.

This study provoked a letter to the editor of the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY,[8] in which the authors suggested a biological mechanism by which trihalomethanes might cause neural tube defects. Neural tube defects are known to be associated with vitamin B12 deficiency and the letter pointed to studies showing that vitamin B12 use by the body can be disrupted by chloroform, one of the four main trihalomethanes in chlorinated drinking water.

An even earlier case-control study reported on pregnancy outcomes among women who delivered babies at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston during the years 1977-1980. Indicators of water quality were taken from public water supply companies. No data were available on the amount of water ingested. The water quality indicators were compared among 1039 cases of babies born with birth defects, 77 stillbirths, and 55 neonatal deaths (babies that died within a week of birth) vs. 1177 controls. Stillbirths were 2.6 times as common among women exposed to chlorinated surface water, compared to controls whose water was disinfected with chloramine instead of chlorine.[9]

More recently, a study of drinking water and pregnancy outcomes in central North Carolina reported a 2.8-fold increased likelihood of miscarriage among women in the highest exposure group for trihalomethanes in drinking water.[10]

Very recently, a second study from the California Department of Health has shown that, in one area of California, women who drank cold tap water had nearly a five-fold increased risk of miscarriage, compared to women who drank mostly bottled water very low in trihalomethanes.[11] Bottled water is often disinfected by a process called ozonation instead of chlorination. Bubbling ozone through water kills bacteria effectively, avoids the distinctive taste and odor of chlorine in the treated water, and produces no dangerous trihalomethanes. Many people buy bottled water simply to avoid the taste of chlorine.

U.S. EPA is currently setting new standards for trihalomethanes in drinking water. The new regulations would apply to all water companies, not just those serving 10,000 people or more, and they would limit total THMs to 80 ppb, down from the present 100 ppb.[12] Still, since several studies link trihalomethanes at 75 ppb or even less to increased miscarriages, EPA's new standard seems dubious even before it has been established.

American water suppliers seem stuck on chlorination as the best way to disinfect drinking water. However, many European cities, and some Canadian cities, such as Ottawa, have long ago turned away from chlorination in favor of ozonation to disinfect their water. In recent years, a few smaller American cities have begun to use ozonation: Emporia, Kansas and Littleton, Massachusetts, for example. The Santa Clara Valley Water District in California has announced that it is switching to ozonation over the next 5 to 8 years, as has the city of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Still the vast majority of water supplies in the U.S. remain chlorinated. And water quality experts remain in the dark about trihalomethane levels in water delivered to customers. Kellyn S. Betts, writing in ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY quotes the EPA official in charge of the new THM regulations saying no one knows how many U.S. water systems deliver water with THMs exceeding 75 ppb.[12] Betts says the American Waterworks Association confirmed for her the absence of data on THM levels in U.S. drinking water systems. The current reporting system only keeps track of water systems that exceed 100 ppb as an annual average.

Erik Olson, a water quality expert with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental group in New York City, points out that THM levels in water supplies typically increase by as much as a factor of 1.5 to 2 during the summer months. And he says short-term exposures may be very important in producing some of the pregnancy outcomes reviewed here --spontaneous abortions, fetal deaths, and serious birth defects. "We may be totally overlooking the risk of short- term exposure," Olson said.[12]

--Peter Montague (National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981/AFL-CIO)

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[1] STATISTICAL ABSTRACT OF THE UNITED STATES 1997 [117th edition] (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, October, 1997). See Table 88.

[2] The STATISTICAL ABSTRACT for 1997, cited above, Table 123, says there were 7.4 fetal deaths per 1000 live births in 1992, so the total number of fetal deaths that year was 7.4 * 4,065 = 30,000.

[3] STATISTICAL ABSTRACT for 1997, cited above, table 117.

[4] S. Hamamah and others, "The effect of male factors in repeated spontaneous abortion: lessons from in-vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection," HUMAN REPRODUCTION UPDATE Vol. 3, No. 4 (July 1997), pgs. 393-400.

[5] Kirsten Waller and others, "Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water and Spontaneous Abortion," EPIDEMIOLOGY Vol. 9, No. 2 (March 1998), pgs. 134-140.

[6] Judith B. Klotz and Laurie A. Pyrch, A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS AND DRINKING WATER CONTAMINANTS (Atlanta, Ga.: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, January, 1998).

[7] Frank L. Bove and others, "Public Drinking Water Contamination and Birth Outcomes," AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY Vol. 141, No. 9 (May 1, 1995), pgs. 850-862.

[8] Andrew T. L. Chen and others, "RE: 'Public Drinking Water Contamination and Birth Outcomes,'" AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY Vol. 143, No. 11 (June 1, 1996), pgs. 1179-1180.

[9] Ann Aschengrau and others, "Quality of Community Drinking Water and the Occurrence of Late Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes," ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Vol. 48, No. 2 (March/April 1993), pgs. 105-113.

[10] David A. Savitz and others, "Drinking Water and Pregnancy Outcome in Central North Carolina: Source, Amount, and Trihalomethane Levels," ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES Vol. 103, No. 6 (June 1995), pgs. 592- 596.

[11] Shanna H. Swan and others, "A Prospective Study of Spontaneous Abortion: Relation to Amount and Source of Drinking Water Consumed in Early Pregnancy," EPIDEMIOLOGY Vol. 9, No. 2 (March 1998), pgs. 126- 133.

[12] Kellyn S. Betts, "Miscarriages associated with drinking water disinfection byproducts, study says," ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY [ES&T] April 1, 1998, pgs. 169A-170A.

Please also visit these two sites

www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/sep/10/a10waterbottle/
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060718084104AAOtn0v