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The Chlorine Paradox
By Cynthia Drasler
Chlorine has always been a fascinating paradox to me. Think about it. On the one hand when chlorine is added to drinking water it eliminates waterborne diseases and epidemics. But, on the other hand, scientists have identified carcinogens that chlorine creates in water.
For many people, the word chlorine induces images of crystal clear water safe for drinking, swimming and bathing. Even more people identify the distinct smell of chlorine with water purity and safety. But critics of chlorine describe a much darker side of this chemical. They identify chlorine and many chlorinated byproducts of industrial processes including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics with the production of the dreaded dioxins and PCBs. They believe that the chlorine chemistry is threatening our health and our environment.
What exactly IS the truth about chlorine? This is what I’ve found. Actually, both views are correct, which creates the chlorine paradox – and our societal love/hate relationship with it. It is ironic that the same chlorine that eliminates infectious pathogens and diseases from our drinking water can also create carcinogens by combining with those same water molecules. There is no doubt that the positive contributions of chlorine to civilization have been foundational, i.e. the elimination of cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever. To emphasize this point, in the 1990’s, the country of
To grasp the role of chlorine in our society, we need to fully understand its benefits, risks and trade-offs. We can’t ignore the fact that chlorine chemistry is the foundation of almost 45% of the products and services that comprise the
The good news is that many companies are recognizing the hazards of their products and are making meaningful changes. For instance, S.C. Johnson and Son recently removed the chemical “saran”, a polyvinylidene dichloride that produces dioxins when incinerated, from its Saran Wrap. Some companies that produce chlorine are working to develop new “green” products using chlorine in the production process, but only as a catalyst so it won’t be present in the final product.
The EPA enacted regulations to lower the chlorination by-products in water to levels not exceeding 100 parts per billion, but some scientists believed that this didn’t go far enough, and should be decreased even further. Then in 1999, the EPA said, “studies show an association between bladder and rectal cancer and chlorination byproducts in drinking water.” When chlorine is vaporized (i.e. from hot water in a shower) it is linked to cardiovascular disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. Conservative calculations indicate that exposures from inhaling chlorine while taking a hot shower or bath can be as significant as exposure from drinking water. There is no question that meaningful rigorous testing on the health effects of chlorine needs to continue.
More good news is that new methods of effective water purification without chlorine are developing. A growing number of cities in
While these new technologies are promising for the future, chlorine is still a staple of American life, so it is important to filter as much chlorine as possible out of the water before we drink it or shower in it. Chlorine filters for the shower are available. I’ve found 2 main types of chlorine filters on the market - KDF and Carbon filters. I prefer KDF because it will kill algae and fungi, control bacteria growth, remove chlorine, removes hydrogen sulfide, iron, lead, cadmium, aluminum, mercury, arsenic, and other inorganic compounds, it partially reduces hardness, it meets EPA and FDA standards regarding trace amounts of zinc and copper ions in water’, and provides a much longer life than carbon filters. The KDF filter will last a family of 4 each taking a 10 minute shower each day, 1 year. Also, when the KDF filter is used up, it is recyclable. A carbon filter will last the same family about 3 months, not filter out as much and when it is used up, is considered hazardous waste.
© Copyright 2007 by Cynthia Drasler, MBA. Permission is granted for the use of this article in whole or in part only if the information is credited to Cynthia Drasler and www.OrganicExcellence.com
