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Chlorine
The chlorination process
was originally hailed as a major public health breakthrough as a means for
reducing the outbreak of typhoid and cholera.
Chlorine is a strong
biocide and is very effective at killing a great many biologic
contaminants.
Chlorine has recently come
under attack because some studies suggest it is linked with cancer.
When chlorine interacts with certain organic matter in water, it can create
cancer-causing byproducts, known as trihalomethanes (THMs). This can be a
more drastic problem when the source water,
such as river or lake
water, is very high
in organics. Most wells in this area do not have high organic levels.
The American Journal of
Public Health reported in 1992 that drinking chlorinated water
over long periods of
time increases the
risk of bladder and rectal cancer. And the Natural Resource Defense
Council (NRDC) estimates that chlorine byproducts cause more than 10,000
bladder and rectal cancers each year. Currently, water companies adjust the
amount of chlorine in water, depending on the level of microbes. That
is what causes the taste and smell of chlorine in drinking water is more
noticeable at some times during the year.
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