United States: As per the latest reports, scientists believe they may have finally identified a mystery chemical byproduct that has been present in some treated drinking water in the United States for over 40 years.
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The authors who reported the finding in the journal Science, have christened the byproduct as chloronitramide anion, which they think is derived from chloramine, which is used as a water purifier in tap water.
The study does not conclude that tap water containing the byproduct is not safe to drink, but the study urges more research to be done.
Approximately 113 million individuals reside in communities consuming chloraminated processed water in the United States.
According to Dr. Stephanie Widmer, a board-certified medical toxicologist and emergency medicine physician, “It’s putting a name to the face of this chemical that’s been in our water for many years,” ABC News reported.
“The reality is that no one really knows too much about this chloronitramide and its impact on human health, and more research needs to be done,” Widmer added.
“These disinfecting chemicals have been giving us clean drinking water for decades, so no reason to fear drinking water as a result of this study,” she continued.
What more are the experts stating?
The study authors advise, in general, that considering the installation of an added carbon filter works well to address such concerns for a sink or a standalone pitcher.
Water systems in the past employed chlorine a chemical element to kill the disease-causing germs, bacteria, viruses, and that group of microorganisms.
However, some of the research carried out showed that chlorine had an adverse impact on human health.
It can cause eye, skin, or respiratory tract irritation for those exposed to low concentrations. When taken in high concentration it has side effects such as chest pain and constrictions in breathing.
Chlorine remains the most used disinfectant in drinking water at treatment plants in the United States, but under the EPA rules, there are legal maximums for how much chlorine can be present or is safe in drinking water.
Such water disinfection systems chose chloramine, a chemical product of chlorine and ammonia, as the disinfectant instead.
Compared to chlorine, chloramine is said to produce fewer byproducts, and is thought to last longer; this makes it suitable for water supply systems that transmit water over long distances.