Chlorine in our tap water?
What is Chlorine and is it safe?
Chlorine is a natural, chemical element on the periodic table that’s found in rocks and oceans. It is commonly used to disinfect water from swimming pools to drinking water. When Chlorine isn’t used to disinfect water, monochloramine typically takes its place.
Health Concerns Associated with Chlorine
Under EPA guidelines, 4mg/L, chlorine is safe to have in your drinking water. It helps prevent waterborne diseases and doesn’t negatively impact your health.
But, research has found that chlorine can cause harm. In one study, researchers found that when chlorine combines with naturally occurring chemicals in the water, also known as phenols, it creates byproducts. Some of these byproducts can go through filtration systems unnoticed and can be toxic. Trihalomethanes (THMs) are one of the byproducts that can form and are linked to bladder cancer. Chlorine in drinking water has also been linked to rectal and breast cancers.
Like monochloramine, there are other similar concerns with chlorine in drinking water. Chlorine can be harmful to those undergoing hemodialysis and cause hemolytic anemia. Chlorine in water can also be harmful to fish, causing a shock to their body and resulting in death.
Chlorine in the Shower
If you’re taking a shower, chlorine from the water can be inhaled from water evaporation, which can cause difficulty breathing and can cause other potential health risks. The chemical can also leave your skin and hair dry and exacerbate pre-existing conditions such as eczema and asthma.
For the shower, you’ll want a filter specifically designed for your showerhead that removes chlorine, like the Berkey Shower Filter. The filter transforms chlorine into a mild chloride salt, no matter what temperature the water is, using a media that’s a combination of zinc, copper and calcium sulfide.
Chlorine in Swimming Pool Water
Many swimming pools are also treated using chlorine. Unlike drinking water treated with chlorine, swimming pool water takes time to treat and even then, many germs can still spread throughout the water. Sweat, body oil and even urine and feces can also make their way into pools and cause you to get sick.
This is why the we does not recommend drinking swimming pool water, although it can be used for personal hygiene or laundry. While Berkey Filters removes over 99.9% of chlorine from drinking water, some contaminants may linger in the water that haven't been tested by Berkey Filters. Although Berkey systems are capable of filtering chlorine from swimming pool water, doing so will result in more wear and tear on your Black Berkey filters, reducing their lifespan.
How to Remove Chlorine From Drinking Water
You have two options for removing chlorine from your drinking water. The first is reverse osmosis, which takes water and exerts it through a semi-permeable membrane, resulting in pure water. This method works fine unless you want to keep essential minerals in your water. Reverse osmosis removes the bad, but also the good, so if you don’t have a well-balanced diet, you could experience mineral deficiency as a result.
Berkey Filters uses the second method, granulated activated carbon (GAC) filter, where the filter elements are either made of coconut shells, which are what Black Berkey filter are made of, or charcoal. These filters have tiny pores that use their adsorption and absorption properties to filter out organic contaminants. They are also good at removing contaminants that have odd odors or taste, including chlorine, but keeping in essential minerals like iron.
The micropores in GAC filters, are only one part of the purification process that Berkey Filters use to clean drinking water. The Black Berkey Filters also utilize ion exchange process and the natural force of gravity flow, to leave you with purified, nutritious water.
Whether you’re filtering your drinking water or shower water, you can trust Berkey Filters to remove the unwanted chlorine. Get a Berkey Water Filter system that fits you and your family today.