Is the Chlorine in your Water Causing Health Risks?

Public water in the United States comes from many different sources. These include rivers, lakes, and wells. Water often contains viruses and bacteria, like salmonella, that can cause adverse side effects in human beings that ingest them.

To remove these contaminants in water, treatment plants use chlorine. While considered safe to consume in small amounts, a recent study suggests that water treated with chlorine can have negative health side effects, including cancer, due to the compounds it produces.

Carbon filters are an easy and reliable way to remove most of the chlorine and its byproducts from drinking water. But there are so many to choose from, it may be difficult to know where to start.

The good news is that, once you understand the different types of carbon filters and how they perform, you can determine which one is right for your home. Keep reading to find out more.

Chlorine Basics

Chlorine was first discovered in 1774 by Carl Scheel, the same German scientist who discovered the element oxygen. Chlorine was not used as a disinfectant until the early 1900s. Since that time it has grown in popularity due to its low cost and effectiveness in water purification.

Chlorine kills parasites, viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms that can cause health problems. It has been useful in treating dangerous waterborne diseases like typhoid and cholera throughout the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, small amounts of chlorine are safe for human consumption.

Potential Problems With Chlorine

A recent study has shed some light on the lack of safety of water that has been treated with chlorine. It revealed that two forms of 2-butene-1, 4-dial (BDA), a toxic compound, are found in water treated with chlorine. Part of the reason that this has gone undetected is that BDA molecules are very small and quite difficult to differentiate from others in the water.

Also, when you add chlorine to water that has a lot of organic material like algae, decaying leaves, or plant matter, it can form trihalomethanes (THMs). These are tasteless and odorless but toxic in larger quantities. The Environmental Protection Agency monitors THMs and deems thems harmless under a certain level.

How to Reduce Chlorine Byproducts From Water

Carbon filters use organic materials like coconut shells, coal, wood, or other products that have high carbon content. The carbon is ground into tiny particles and formed into a solid black sponge. This is then injected with heat or steam to create millions of tiny pores through which the water can flow.

Each carbon particle has a very large surface area, which gives a greater chance of absorbing and removing contaminants. One pound of activated carbon has a surface area of about 100 acres.

Carbon filters come in two forms. The most common type is called "granulated activated carbon" (GAC) filters. These contain millimeter-sized granules of carbon.

Carbon block filters have finer granules held together by a binding agent. They have the potential to filter more contaminants than GAC filters but can slow the water filtering process. This places some limitations on block filters, especially for systems that filter water for the entire home.

Types of Water Filters

There are two main types of GAC filters: whole-house and point-of-use. The type of filter you need depends on your unique water needs.

As the name suggests, a whole-house water filtration system sits at the main point of entry into the home. It filters all the water traveling to any faucet or water fixture throughout the building. These are useful if you want to avoid contaminants in bath or shower water, or at bathroom sinks, and not only in your kitchen.

A point-of-use (POU) filter is installed near the faucet or fixture where you get your drinking water. A common location is under the kitchen sink, where filters water coming from the faucet. Other examples are pitcher- and faucet-mounted filters, and those used in refrigerators for water and ice.

Note that, regardless of the type and caliber, you must periodically change out water filters. This is not just to optimize effectiveness but to avoid bacteria buildup. Most stand-alone systems come with some type of indicator to tell you when the filter has decreased in effectiveness.

What Will Carbon Filters Remove?

Activated carbon filters are the only ones that can remove all 32 organic compounds found in drinking water. They catch about a dozen of the most common herbicides and pesticides common in water sources.

Carbon filters also will catch certain acids known as PFOs. These are often used in the production of carpets, food packaging, and other materials and can make their way into water sources. If consumed, these have serious health impacts, including cancer and liver damage.

Carbon filters also can remove pharmaceutical byproducts. These can make their way into water sources through improper disposal and from agricultural runoff.

Carbon filters remove various volatile organic compounds from water sources. These include certain phosphates. Private wells are especially susceptible to these.

In addition to removing chlorine in water, these filters will catch chlorine byproducts as well. These include BDAs and THMs.

Besides removing harmful compounds, there are many healthy things in water. These include various minerals, like magnesium, potassium, and calcium. The good news is that carbon filters will not remove these helpful components.

Find Carbon Filters for Your Home

Now that you have an idea of how chlorine impacts treated water and how carbon filters can remove such impurities, you can decide if a carbon filter is a good option for you. With GAC filters, you can ensure that your home is free of contaminants and the water is safe for you and your family to consume.

For more than 15 years, Supreme Water Sales has provided the highest-quality water purification products to our customers. We keep a large inventory of carbon filters on hand to fit a range of devices and systems. Reach out to us today to learn more about our products or to get assistance selecting the best filters for your water purification needs.