Does chlorinating drinking water increase risk of cancer?

 Disinfecting water is an essential public health measure, however, with the new study revealing its harmful impact on health, researchers called for more research in this field

Agencies:  Chlorinating drinking water is a widely used disinfection method that plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and quality of drinking water. But how safe is it? 

A recent study on chlorination of drinking water reveals that chlorinating drinking water at common levels in the United States and European Union probably increases the risk of cancers. 

The study from across the globe found that the process of disinfecting water with chlorine generates trihalomethane (THM), a byproduct found in all public drinking water systems across the US and EU. 

The researchers noted that though chlorination is a "cheap, effective and readily available" method, it causes an increased risk of bladder cancer (33 per cent), and colorectal cancer (15 per cent). 

When chlorine is added to water, it reacts with organic compounds, like decaying plant materials to create toxic byproducts. 

“What we see is alarming and we need some more high-quality studies,” Emilie Helte, a lead author with Karolinska Institutet in Sweden said. 

Alternatives such as treating water with UV lights, or installing new filtration systems were also suggested by the researchers. 

What is drinking water chlorination? 

The addition of chlorine to drinking water systems is known as drinking water chlorination. It is the most common type of disinfection that kills harmful bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. 

Water chlorination was introduced in the US and other countries as waterborne diseases like typhoid, dysentery became a common cause of death in the past. 

Some of the alternative disinfectants include: 

1. Ultraviolet disinfection

2. Ozone disinfection

3. Nano photocatalytic disinfection