Chlorine: Is Your Drinking Water Safe?
Reproduction Challenges Linked to Chlorine
Chlorine is a chemical that is mixed into public drinking water to kill germs and bugs, to leave the water safe to drink. However, if chlorine is killing the germs and bugs, is it safe for us to drink?
Municipal governments the world over monitor the amount of chlorine in water in order not to exceed safety standards. The question is: why ingest it at all? Several studies on humans have also found a link between long-term exposure to high levels of chlorine by-products and a higher risk of cancer. (1)
Chlorine is of particular concern for women and their reproductive health. In 2003, a study examined the risk of miscarriages and spontaneous abortions in relation to bromodichloromethane, a chlorine disinfection by-product. The study concluded that the placenta was affected and that the exposure to this chemical can cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. Another study looked at the relationship between trichloromethane, a chlorine by-product and reproduction. They found that exposure to this chemical decreased the length of menstrual cycles. There have also been a number of other studies that found chlorine to affect fetal growth and fetal genetics. Therefore if you are pregnant, breast-feeding or intend to become pregnant, you should try to reduce your exposure to chlorine, for your own health and the health of your children. (4)
Most of us know chlorine as the chemical that is used in cleaning products and to clean swimming pools. Being exposed to small amounts of chlorine won’t immediately hurt you, but since it is added to the public water supply, we are exposed to it over a lifetime, which adds up. We drink it, we cook with it, we breathe it in, and we bathe in it every single day. Over time the exposure to chlorine can build up in the body, causing a variety of health problems including:
- Respiratory problems
- Cell damage
- Various forms of cancer
- Genetic mutations
- Heart disease
- Atherosclerosis
- Anaemia
- Reproductive problems
- Protein destruction
- Skin problems
- Hair loss
- Nose, throat, lung and sinus problems
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Eye problems
- Memory loss
- Dementia
- Hodgkin’s disease (1)
“Chlorine is so dangerous that it should be banned. Putting chlorine in the water is like starting a time bomb. Cancer, heart trouble, premature senility, both mental and physical are conditions attributable to chlorine, used in treated water supplies. It is making us grow old before our time by producing symptoms of ageing such as hardening of the arteries. I believe if chlorine were now proposed for the first time to be used in drinking water, it would be banned by the Food and Drug Administration.”- Biologist & chemist Dr. Herbert Schwartz
Santevia’s countertop and pitcher filters are able to reduce chlorine up to 99%. The Santevia water filters will reduce chlorine, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, trihalomethanes, heavy metals, organic chemicals, while also raising the pH of the water and adding essential minerals.
Exposure to Chlorine Linked to Increased Risk of Cancer
It is essential to treat drinking water before its transportation to your home. Before the widespread chlorination of drinking water, disease ran rampant and posed a greater health risk than chlorine. That being said, chlorine is in no way healthy. Over time, as we gain exposure to chlorine, it begins to build up in the body and disturb the health of your cells and organs. As a result, you are at a higher risk of developing life-threatening diseases.
Cancers
It has now been medically proven that chlorine is a carcinogen that can cause cancer. The Medical College of Wisconsin stated that “We are quite convinced, based on this study, that there is an association between cancer and chlorinated water” (2). If you have been exposed to chlorine for more than 10 years, then you are at a higher risk of developing cancer. Chlorine exposure causes:
- Your risk of bladder cancer to double
- Your bladder, colon and rectal cancer risk becomes 93% higher
- If you have used swimming pools, then you risk of bladder cancer increases by 57%
- If you took hot showers/baths then your risk of cancer increases
- Heart attacks and strokes can also be caused by chlorine exposure. (3)
Santevia’s countertop and pitcher filters are able to remove 100% of the chlorine from your tap water. The Santevia water filters will reduce chlorine, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, trihalomethanes, heavy metals, organic chemicals, while also raising the pH of the water and adding essential minerals.
3 Types of Chlorine Exposure
There are three main ways that you can be exposed to chlorine:
1. Tap water: Chlorine is mixed into the tap water that you drink and cook with. When the chlorine passes through the body, traces of the chemical can be left behind and build up over time, causing adverse health affects.
2. Bathing and Showering: Tap water is also the water we shower in. The skin is porous and will absorb chlorine over time. Not to mention that it can cause dry skin and hair as many of us have experienced! The swimming pool is another place that contains high amounts of chlorine. You should reduce the amount of time you spend in swimming pools and always shower after.
3. Inhalation: Breathing in the chemicals from chlorine is another way that it can enter the body. Chlorine is breathed in when we are around swimming pools, cleaning products and the shower. The steam from showers has around 100 times the amount of chlorine than in water, because it evaporates out of water at higher temperatures (6).
3 Ways to Reduce Your Chlorine Exposure
1. Use a water filter to filter your tap water. We recommend a Santevia Alkaline Water Pitcher a water filter that not only takes out the bad (like chlorine) but also adds back in the good (like minerals). While having non-contaminated water is critical, taking out all the good stuff (like calcium and magnesium) isn’t good for your body either. This is why our recommended water pitcher makes water naturally mineralized and alkaline! This ensures your body stays healthy through alkaline balance and mineralization and also that your water is chlorine-free! Many other water pitchers just reduce chlorine.
2. Use a shower filter when showering. You absorb significantly more chlorine in a 10 minute shower than you do drinking 8 glasses of chlorinated water! This is why we recommend an alkaline filter like the Santevia Shower filter that you can install behind your own shower head to reduce the chlorine. Our recommended shower filter also adds back in skin-softening and nourishing minerals while naturally softening the water. Many other shower filters just reduce chlorine.
3. Use a bath filter when bathing your kids! Kids are at especially high risk of excess chlorine exposure because of their small size and less developed immune systems. This is why a bath filter is so essential! We recommend the Santevia Bath Filter which easily hangs beneath any bath faucet and filters the water as you fill the bath. The Santevia bath filter also adds back in skin-softening and nourishing minerals. Many other bath filters just reduce chlorine.