Research Indicates Widely Used Water Disinfectant May Produce Harmful Byproduct
New research published Thursday reveals that a group of chemical compounds commonly used to disinfect water for one-third of the U.S. population and millions more worldwide creates a potentially toxic byproduct. This finding has prompted calls for an "immediate" investigation into the possible health impacts.
TroibNews 
A recent study published on Thursday has revealed that a group of chemical compounds used to disinfect water for approximately one-third of the U.S. population, as well as millions of others worldwide, may generate a potentially toxic byproduct. This finding has prompted calls for an "immediate" investigation into the possible health risks associated with its presence.
For decades, inorganic chloramines have been utilized to eliminate pathogens from public water supplies. While chlorine is still the most widely used disinfectant both in the U.S. and globally, many systems have increasingly adopted chloramines to minimize certain byproducts that are associated with bladder and colon cancer, low birth weight, and miscarriage.
Currently, over 113 million Americans depend on chloraminated drinking water, a practice also found in Canada, Asia, and Europe.
"However, chloramines themselves decompose into products that are poorly characterized," stated Julian Fairey, lead author of the study featured in the journal Science, during a press briefing.
One byproduct that has puzzled researchers for more than 40 years was referred to simply as the "unidentified product," remaining chemically unresolved until now.
Fairey and his team have recently solved this mystery. Through a blend of traditional chemistry techniques and modern approaches like high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, they have identified the compound as "chloronitramide anion."
This compound was found in all 40 samples of chloraminated drinking water tested, with concentrations reaching as high as 100 micrograms per liter – surpassing the typical regulatory limits for disinfection byproducts, which range from 60 to 80 micrograms per liter.
While toxicological assessments are still needed, the research team has raised alarms about the situation. "The chemical structure looks concerning, as does the concentrations at which this compound is forming, so we certainly think health effects studies are warranted," Fairey noted.
The study advocates for the compound to be treated as "an immediate candidate" for quantification in public waters and calls for more rigorous health and toxicity examinations.
Fairey suggested that water utilities might consider reverting to chlorine, although doing so would necessitate the use of secondary disinfectants to counteract the known toxic byproducts associated with chlorine.
As further studies and regulatory responses are likely years away, the researchers recommend that individuals concerned about their water quality utilize home filtration systems equipped with activated carbon blocks.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
For decades, inorganic chloramines have been utilized to eliminate pathogens from public water supplies. While chlorine is still the most widely used disinfectant both in the U.S. and globally, many systems have increasingly adopted chloramines to minimize certain byproducts that are associated with bladder and colon cancer, low birth weight, and miscarriage.
Currently, over 113 million Americans depend on chloraminated drinking water, a practice also found in Canada, Asia, and Europe.
"However, chloramines themselves decompose into products that are poorly characterized," stated Julian Fairey, lead author of the study featured in the journal Science, during a press briefing.
One byproduct that has puzzled researchers for more than 40 years was referred to simply as the "unidentified product," remaining chemically unresolved until now.
Fairey and his team have recently solved this mystery. Through a blend of traditional chemistry techniques and modern approaches like high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, they have identified the compound as "chloronitramide anion."
This compound was found in all 40 samples of chloraminated drinking water tested, with concentrations reaching as high as 100 micrograms per liter – surpassing the typical regulatory limits for disinfection byproducts, which range from 60 to 80 micrograms per liter.
While toxicological assessments are still needed, the research team has raised alarms about the situation. "The chemical structure looks concerning, as does the concentrations at which this compound is forming, so we certainly think health effects studies are warranted," Fairey noted.
The study advocates for the compound to be treated as "an immediate candidate" for quantification in public waters and calls for more rigorous health and toxicity examinations.
Fairey suggested that water utilities might consider reverting to chlorine, although doing so would necessitate the use of secondary disinfectants to counteract the known toxic byproducts associated with chlorine.
As further studies and regulatory responses are likely years away, the researchers recommend that individuals concerned about their water quality utilize home filtration systems equipped with activated carbon blocks.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
