Chloramine May Be a Threat to a Safe Water Supply For Drinking and Bathing
You better be concerned because your water filter may not help
Would you be concerned about getting cancer, birth defects, genetic damage, digestive problems, spleen damage, liver damage, kidney damage, and lowered immunity from drinking water? Of course you would! Well, it's time to jack up your concern to ultra-high levels because there's a new chemical kid on the block that many municipalities are dumping into your water supply in order to supposedly purify the water you drink... and your water filter - the one you spent hundreds of dollars for - will most likely not remove this new kid.
While creating safe drinking water has never been a simple matter, least of all today in our toxic, highly chemical world, modern water purification methodologies seem to be getting themselves deeper and deeper in trouble in seeking out inexpensive ways to solve the problem. Chlorine, the inexpensive chemical of choice of the US public water department for decades, is now being replaced in many areas with another inexpensive chemical, Chloramine.
The reason chlorine is a problem
The danger of the carcinogenic by-products that Chlorine leaves behind once it has evaporated, such as trihalomethanes, (THMs) have finally registered enough concern with the government that they're trying to reduce the amount of Chlorine used in our water; but now there is concern that this smaller amount isn't enough to do the job everywhere. THMs are created as a byproduct of free Chlorine coming in contact with organic material present in the water supply. The THMs seem to be the real culprits in health problems related to the use of Chorine.
This leads us to the newest chemical on the water block, Chloramine. The good thing about Chloramine is that it produces a lower amount of THMs. It has already been chosen in many parts of America as a replacement for chlorine where the water treatment problem is bigger than the new lower guidelines of Chlorine can handle. What water treatment plants in America like about Chloramine is that you can use a very small amount as it doesn't evaporate like chlorine and it sticks around to do the job; however, they're willing to overlook the fact that Chloramine, a mixture of Chlorine and Ammonia, even in small amounts is still a dangerous nerve gas and new research indicates that it has a propensity to create even more dangerous by-products than chlorine, that may be even more carcinogenic. Some people claim that the verdict is still out on the safety of Chloramine, but given the past track records of products that were supposedly safe turning out to be harmful, there is reason for great concern.
The dangers of chloramine
A study conducted by the University of Illinois demonstrates that one of the by-products of the chloramination, known as iodoacids (EYE-O-doe-acids), may be the most toxic ever found in drinking water. The concern is not only the genetic damage it can cause in mammals (including humans) that drink chloraminated water, but also the fact that these dangerous chemicals are being released back into the environment where fish, wildlife, and the food chain may be adversely affected.
What we know for sure about Chloramines demonstrates that they are both reactive and persistent -- not only in water, but also in human tissue. One study demonstrated that after 5 days, over 95% of a single dose of Chloramine administered to laboratory rats was still concentrated in tissues including plasma, blood, skin, packed cells, kidney, nerves, testes, thymus gland, spleen, liver, muscle tissue, bone marrow, etc. Imagine if you are drinking and bathing in this every single day.
We now know that chlorination has contributed greatly to heart disease, cancer, and other serious health issues in our human population. There is no reason to believe that chloramination will prove to be less troublesome. In fact, just the opposite is likely. Notwithstanding this information, utility companies around the country routinely misinform their customers, telling them that Chloramines are effectively neutralized by stomach acids before they can reach the blood.
And if things weren't bad enough, Chloramine, unlike Chlorine, is extremely difficult to remove from water. It will go right through most filter systems like carbon block and ceramics, and reverse-osmosis and distillers. This may be one of the most dangerous aspects of chloramine. Today thousands and thousands of people have water filters. They range from the small pitcher-type filters to expensive counter top carbon and reverse osmosis systems, to systems for the whole house. Many people also have filters for their showers because the skin, being the largest organ in the body, can directly absorb free chlorine through the pores. Here's the catch. The vast majority of the filters in homes and businesses today are effective for removing significant amounts of free Chlorine, but are ineffective at removing Chloramine. While the shift to Chloramine may result in a whole new round of filter sales, this is certainly not good news for the average consumer.
Chloramine can be removed with the right filters
Most people who have experience Chloramine in their water supply complain of bad taste, bad odor, and even skin irritation. Chloramine can be removed, but it takes much more effort to remove it. Activated Carbon, similar to the carbon found in many of today's water filters will remove it. Compared to Chlorine, the problem is that it takes much more carbon to get the job done and the water must be in contact with the carbon for a longer period of time. Catalytic Activated Carbon is an answer to those problems and catalytic bituminous-based carbon is the best choice for Chloramine removal. Today, most of those filters are whole house filters in the ,000 price range.
The best strategy you can follow is to determine whether your local water utility is using Chloramine. Unfortunately you may need to be a little sneaky and pose as a student doing a report on water purification because, frankly, not all utilities will be forthcoming about their use of Chloramine. If you are told that Chloramine is used, then you can be certain that is correct. If you are not told it is used, don't necessarily believe it. There are inexpensive test kits available through the internet. Get one and use it on your household water supply. If the test is positive for Chloramine, then look into a whole house filter.
