Tag: Disinfection byproducts

According to the World Health Organization, millions of deaths occur each year from illnesses linked to contaminated water. While boiling is a traditional method for disinfection, its effectiveness for modern chlorinated tap water is often misunderstood and comes with potential risks.

Chlorine is a widely used disinfectant for public drinking water and swimming pools, but its powerful antimicrobial and oxidizing properties come with unintended consequences. Exposure can strip the body of essential nutrients, disrupt delicate microbiomes, and degrade water quality through chemical reactions with organic matter.

According to the FDA, ozone has been recognized as 'generally recognized as safe' for bottled water and food contact since 2001. The question of whether drinking ozonated water is healthy is complex, with its safety largely depending on the application and handling, though proponents cite its potent antimicrobial properties as a key benefit.

According to the World Health Organization, chemical disinfection of drinking water, often with chlorine, is a vital public health advance. But does chlorine dissipate when water is boiled? The answer is nuanced: while boiling does accelerate the evaporation of free chlorine, it is largely ineffective against the more stable compound, chloramine.

Chlorination has been a standard public health practice for over 100 years, significantly reducing waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid. Yet, for many, the taste and smell of tap water with a lot of chlorine raise concerns about safety and long-term health risks.