Potentially toxic compound discovered in chloraminated water

Potentially toxic compound discovered in chloraminated water Keystone-SDA

A Swiss-American research team has identified a potentially toxic compound in US drinking water systems. This is a degradation product of a chemical that is used in some countries to disinfect drinking water.

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Such inorganic chloramines are used to protect public health against diseases such as cholera and typhoid. According to estimates, more than 113 million people in the US alone drink chloraminated water, federal technology institute ETH Zurich said in a statementExternal link.

The researchers have identified the chloronitramide anion as the end product of the decomposition of inorganic chloramine. It is currently unknown whether and how toxic the chloronitramide anion is. However, its prevalence and similarity to other toxic compounds gave the researchers cause for concern. Further studies are now needed to assess the risk to public health.

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The study, published in the journal Science, focused on water systems in the US. However, Italy, France, Canada and other countries also use chloramination and could be affected. “Chloraminated drinking water is widespread in North America, but chloramination is not really practised in Switzerland, and there is no chloronitramide anion in Swiss waters,” co-author Juliana Laszakovits said in the statement.

“It’s well recognised that when we disinfect drinking water, there is some toxicity that’s created. Chronic toxicity, really. A certain number of people may get cancer from drinking water over several decades. But we haven’t identified what chemicals are driving that toxicity,” said Julian Fairey, professor at the University of Arkansas.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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