The Hard Truth About Chlorine
Chlorine is commonly used to disinfect water, attempting to eliminate bacteria, organics, and other contaminants. It doesn’t end at the city water facility either. Chlorinated water is being distributed into our homes. Chlorination may be an important process in the water treatment facility, but it’s no longer needed once it reaches our home.
Chlorinated water is potent and may lead to adverse side effects, including:
- Skin and Hair: Chlorine can strip natural oils from your skin and hair, leading to dryness or irritation. For people with sensitive skin or certain conditions like eczema or dermatitis, regular exposure to chlorinated water might exacerbate these issues. Using moisturizing lotions or oils after showering and conditioning treatments for hair can help manage this effect.
- Water Taste and Odor: Chlorine can leave a distinct taste or odor in drinking water While it’s an effective disinfectant, some individuals find the taste unpleasant. This can be particularly noticeable when drinking water straight from the tap. A simple filtration system can help remove chlorine, improving taste and odor.
- Gut Health Considerations: While chlorine is an effective disinfectant, there is ongoing research into how it might affect the gut microbiome. If you have concerns about gut health, a water filtration system may be something to consider.
- Chlorine Benefits: It’s also worth noting that chlorine is a cost-efficient way to disinfect water, protecting communities from waterborne diseases; however, most families prefer not to consume chlorinated water.
- Effect on Plumbing and Appliances: Over time, chlorine can have a negative impact on plumbing systems, especially if the water is heavily chlorinated. Using water filtration solutions protects appliances.
- Health Risks Over Long-Term Exposure: While chlorine is essential for treating drinking water and protecting public health from waterborne pathogens, some studies have raised concerns about long-term exposure to chlorine by-products, such as trihalomethanes (THMs), which are formed during water treatment. Prolonged exposure to high levels of these by-products may be linked to numerous health issues.
For those concerned about chlorine in their water, Kinetico offers a variety of customizable water treatment systems that effectively treat chlorine, ensuring you get clean, great-tasting water while maintaining the benefits of properly treated water.
