In the 'Symptoms - Environment' section of our in-depth questionnaire we ask the following question about use of chlorinated water:
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Are you exposed to chlorinated water either by drinking or bathing?
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Your answer |
...indicates |
...and suggests |
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"Don't know" |
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"No" |
Not using chlorinated water |
A risk factor |
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"Yes, use it for bathing only" |
Using chlorinated water |
A risk factor |
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"Yes, use it for drinking and bathing" |
Using chlorinated water |
A risk factor |
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Your answer will affect the likelihoods of the conditions below.
Any answers in green reduce the likelihood of the condition.
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| Answers |
Condition |
Comment |
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Bladder Cancer |
Chlorination, the most widely used method of killing bacteria in water, is known to produce powerful carcinogenic residues, including Dioxin. Studies have shown that the risk of bladder cancer is doubled if you drink chlorine treated water. |
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Susceptibility To Miscarriages |
(Women only) The Environmental Working Group and US PIRG released a first ever nationwide assessment of chlorination byproducts (CBPs) in drinking water showing that more than 100,000 women are at elevated risk of miscarriage, or of having children with birth defects because of CBPs in tap water.
Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington DC, leads the list for the number of pregnancies at risk in individual communities or water systems, while Texas tops the list for number of pregnancies at risk statewide.
CBPs are formed when chlorine, added to tap water to kill microbes, reacts with organic material in the water. Chlorine also reacts with organic matter, including sewage, animal waste, and soil and plant material from polluted runoff to form further harmful CBPs.
The report estimates that from 1996 though 2001, more than 16 million people in 1,258 communities were served water contaminated with CBPs for at least 12 months at levels higher than a new legal limit. A handful of large cities put the greatest number of people at risk - Washington DC suburbs, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh suburbs in Pennsylvania, and San Francisco, California - but more than 1,100 small water systems also reported potentially dangerous contaminant levels. [U.S. PIRG Reports. Consider The Source: Farm Runoff, Chlorination Byproducts And Human Health; January 8, 2002] |
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Vitamin E Requirement |
Chlorination destroys Vitamin E in the body, which can lead to heart problems, and has been linked to clogged arteries. |
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GLOSSARY
Arterial (Arteries, Artery)
Blood that leaves the heart. When it leaves the right ventricle, it is venous blood; and when it leaves the left ventricle, through the aorta, it is fresh and oxygenated. After it has passed out to the capillaries and started to return, it is venous blood.
Bacteria (Bacterial, Bacterium)
Microscopic germs. Some bacteria are "harmful" and can cause disease, while other "friendly" bacteria protect the body from harmful invading organisms.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Carcinogen (Carcinogenic, Carcinogenicity)
Any agent that is cancer-causing.
Miscarriage (Miscarriages, Spontaneous Abortion)
The expulsion of a fetus before it is able to survive outside of the womb.
Vitamin E
An essential fat-soluble vitamin. As an antioxidant, helps protect cell membranes, lipoproteins, fats and vitamin A from destructive oxidation. It helps protect red blood cells and is important for the proper function of nerves and muscles. For Vitamin E only, 1mg translates to 1 IU.
Last updated: May 10, 2007
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