What Are Experts Saying About Chloramine Water And Cancer?

While there are lots of chlorine filters on the market, there aren't many effective chloramine water filters to choose from.  Only recently have facilities started switching from chlorine to chloramines for disinfection purposes.

They made the switch because chlorine tends to dissipate, as it makes its way through the pipelines.  Chloramines, on the other hand, remain active. 

In terms of killing bacteria and other germs in the pipelines, that's a good thing.  But, there are some drawbacks.  Public healthcare organizations consider the drawbacks minor, because controlling waterborne illnesses is much more important to them.  To the individual, the drawbacks are scary.

Researchers have shown that cancer-causing byproducts are created when chloramines react with organic material.  In Canada, it has been estimated that every year, there are 700 new cases of cancer caused by exposure to those byproducts. 

This is not exposure that occurs when handling the chemicals, as one would in a facility, although that is a health risk.  It is exposure that occurs when we drink, cook with and shower in unfiltered water on a daily basis.  Since the chloramines remain active, they react with bacteria on our skin to form those cancer-causing byproducts.

If we make an effort to reduce our exposure to these chemicals, whenever possible, we reduce our risk of cancer, which is currently the number one cause of death in the United States.  Installing an effective chloramine water filter that also traps the disinfection byproducts is an easy and inexpensive step to take towards better long-term health.  Systems are available for the kitchen, the showerhead and even the whole house.

An effective filter will include multiple steps.  Granular activated carbon reduces cancer-causing chemicals.  A carbon and multi-media block further reduces them to a point that they are practically non-existent. 

The best systems also include an ion exchange step, because that removes lead and other metallic particles.  It balances the mineral content and improves the pH level. 

Chloramine water filters are always recommended for home aquariums, because the chemical is toxic to fish and plants.  Filters for aquariums actually cost more than those that can be mounted on a kitchen tap. 

Treating cancer is expensive, which is why socialist countries like Canada are interested in the number of annual cases associated with exposure to disinfection byproducts.  They want to know how much it is costing them. 

Perhaps the best thing that they could do is supply all homes with an effective chloramine water filter.  It would probably save them money, in the long run.