The use of chlorine to disinfect drinking water is something that has been done for decades because it eliminates various waterborne diseases and pathogens. Chlorine is extremely effective, inexpensive and easily monitored and controlled. Chlorine keeps the bacteria growth in drinking water under control, which is why it is considered to be a top disinfectant, but it also has some unfortunate side-effects.
Chlorine’s Harmful By-Products
When used as a treatment for drinking water, chlorine combines with various organic matters to create a by-product called Trihalomethanes (THMs), which are highly toxic when inhaled, consumed, or if they come into contact with the skin.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted tests that indicated that drinking water that has been treated with chlorine contains toxins that long-term exposure to THMs can potentially cause bladder cancer, colon and rectal cancers. The EPA has also concluded that pregnant women who drink water that has been treated with chlorine stand a higher chance of miscarriage or having children with birth defects.
How to Remove Chlorine from Your Home
If you live in an area or visit an area where the water is treated with chlorine, you will be exposed to the chlorine not only in your drinking water, but also via the water with which you shower or bathe. In actual fact, bathing or showering in chlorinated water can be more dangerous than drinking water that contains chlorine.
There are various methods that you can use to remove all traces of chloride from your water, removing toxins and without leaving behind any negative toxins. These are the two best methods of removing chloride:
- Carbon Filtration: Carbon filtration absorbs the chlorine from your water, removing all trace, odour, taste and any organic compounds, leaving only pure, clean, potable water for drinking and personal hygiene; and
- Reverse Osmosis: Reverse osmosis is the best method of removing chlorine from any kind of water, especially from your drinking water. A reverse osmosis filtrations system will remove 99% of all contaminants in the water, including heavy metals and pesticides.
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