The tap water delivered to 113 million Americans has contained a mysterious chemical substance, a byproduct of the water treatment process, for decades. This week, scientists finally discovered what it was, and it’s not good.
A 40-year-old mystery. Before coming out of your faucet, tap water in the U.S. is treated at facilities to ensure that it’s safe to drink. While there are different methods used to treat water, they generally use chemicals to remove dirt and other particles from the water and kill microorganisms.
Chloramine, which is made up of chlorine and ammonia, is one of the chemicals used in water treatment plants to get rid of viruses and bacteria. Forty years ago, scientists noticed that water treated with chloramine produced a chemical byproduct. However, they couldn’t figure out what it was—until now.
Toxic tap water? In a new study published in Science, researchers gave a name to the decades-old mystery substance: chloronitramide anion. They were able to identify it thanks to advances in analysis techniques, which allowed them to identify the chemical’s structure.
Notably, the research team didn’t find any evidence to suggest that chloronitramide anion is toxic to humans, although they pointed out that it’s similar to other known toxic molecules. The team also underscored that the prevalence of the substance in the tap water—delivered to roughly one-third of Americans—means it deserves more scrutiny.
The history of chloramine. Interestingly, many water treatment plants opted to use chloramine to purify water because it was considered safer than chlorine. Officials at public water systems started using chlorine in low levels to treat water in the early 20th century, according to CNN, to great success. The practice helped clear water of cholera and typus.
But while it solved one health problem, it also produced another. Scientists have found that people who drink chlorinated water for long periods of time have a higher risk of developing colon and bladder cancer. Long-term consumption of chlorinated water can also lead to miscarriages in pregnant women. Chlorine is still used to treat water today, but the levels allowed are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
A pending question. Figuring out whether chloronitramide anion is toxic to humans isn’t something we’ll know anytime soon. It could take years and would require a substantial amount of funding, experts said, something that may not be easy to obtain.
So, what does that mean for your tap water? As far as calls to action go, it’s not very clear. Oliver Jones, a chemistry professor at RMIT University in Melbourne, said that while the study is very convincing, “I’m not overly worried about my tap water.” The professor suggested using a water filter as an additional precaution if you’re worried about your tap water.
“The compound in question is not newly discovered, just newly defined,” Jones said, as reported by CNN. “We should remember that the presence of a compound does not automatically mean it is causing harm.”
Image | Scouse Smurf
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