Water is the main and important basic need for all living beings .I cant live without drinking water at least once in two hours.Such is the weather in India with the heat touching 100 degree Fahrenheit in Summer from Jan to May.Also,water is the main source of infectious disease such as chorea, malaria, diarrhea, typhoid, jaundice and recent addition being Chickenguyna.Several people die,some struggle to death with these diseases and some with its aftermath effects.We cant avoid water to control these disease but have to treat them water before it is POTABLE.
Chlorine was first added to our drinking water in the late 1800s and it is still the standard water treatment today.Regarding the cost ,our municipalities treat water on a massive scale using Chlorine.Yuck,I could even smell them ,taste the chlorine when I some time drink water from my KITCHEN TAP.When at a tender age,I was told that they are cleaned water and so is the smell. Oh, my Grandma doesn't know the real Science behind it. Even though there is a permissible amount limit that is added to purify water as done even today by our Government who has a strict control over it, a little higher Chlorine still causes the increases the risk of cancer and other health hazards .
"Chlorine is the greatest crippler and killer of modern times. It is an insidious poison. While it prevented epidemics of one disease, it was creating others. Two decades after the start of Chlorinating our drinking water, [1904], the present epidemic of heart trouble, cancer and senility began." - Dr Joseph M Price
Okay,then I can hear that you are asking me whether water purifiers are safe and what about mineral water ?.The fact is that 65% of the household in South India incl.Mumbai (80%) and around use Water purifiers or mineral waters for drinking purposes .They too , I believe are chlorinated water.
Also, Swimming pools are sanitized using Trichloroisocyanuric Acid (TCCA)generated chlorine. Swimming in this water for a long time increases the risk of cancer. (Source: TOI) .
SEA water as we all know is the worst water to drink yet again they need proper and reliable treatment.
So is there any SAFE WATER around ? ah..I could recollect my environmental engineering and few topics of interests here.
Rainwater harversting : How many of you know or interested in Rain water harvesting?
Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing, of rainwater for reuse .It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses given to water.Water collected from the ground, sometimes from areas which are especially prepared for this purpose, is called Stormwater harvesting.
Even this requires treatment before drinking.
So what are the treatments?.Here are few which I know,might provide a little info for those interested.
Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water .Simple procedures such as boiling or the use of a household activated carbon filter are not sufficient for treating all the possible contaminants that may be present in water from an unknown source.
General Methods
- Physical processes such as filtration and sedimentation
- Biological processes such as slow sand filters or activated sludge,
- Chemical processes such as flocculation and chlorination and
- Electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light.
So we can see that Chlorination is an important treatment in water from the above .Okay,coming back to our Topic about the Chlorination which means that some form of chlorine or its compounds such as chloramine or chlorine dioxide are used to disinfect water since Chlorine is a strong oxidant that rapidly kills many harmful micro-organisms. Because chlorine is a toxic gas, there is a danger of a release associated with its use.It is solved by use of sodium hypochlorite which releases free chlorine when dissolved in water.
One drawback is that chlorine from any source reacts with natural organic compounds in the water to form potentially harmful chemical by-products trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), both of which are carcinogenic in large quantities and regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Drinking Water Inspectorate in the UK. (from Wikipedia)
Now,my conclusion is that water which is got by Purification and which is POTABLE should be free of Chlorine too.That is CHLORINE -FREE WATER Any new ideas and budding scientists can leave your views here to take the topic further.
This is a CAUSE RELATED POST AGAINST CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER joining hands with Indiblogger , Mr. Bejon Misra and NEED SUPPORTERS like you!
Chlorination of drinking water causes Cancer and other medical problems
Miscarriages
Stillbirths
Birth Defects (Spina Bifida)
Breast cancer
Kidney cancer
Bladder cancer
Bowel cancer
Rectal cancer
Strokes
Heart disease / Heart attack
Reduced sperm count
Fertility problems (Endometriosis)
Impaired thyroid
Lung damage
Immune system breakdown
Triggers asthma
Urge people around you to use CHLORINE -FREE WATER . Research and share your knowledge and spread the message
You can also Join Mr. Bejon Misra (consumer activist & founder of The Healthy You Foundation) in the crusade against chlorine. Help consumers - ask the right questions before buying a water purifier.
To know more, please call the consumer helpline 1800-11-4424.
