Common Myths about Chlorine You Should Know Better Than Believe

Used as a disinfectant to remove bacteria and other microorganisms, chlorine is added to water at a municipal level to kill germs. The use of chlorine water is common and the chemical can often be tasted in our drinking water, if you are drinking directly from the tap. Aside from our homes, chlorine water is widely used in indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

Overexposure to chlorinated water can result in itchy skin, lung irritation while increasing the risk of asthma. Unfortunately, there are a number of common myths which have been floating around the internet. To educate our consumers and readers we have compiled a list of common myths you should not pay heed to:

1. Chlorine Is the Safest and Most Effective Disinfectant

While chlorine is a widely used disinfectant for killing bacteria and microorganisms, it does not guarantee 100% pure drinking water coming out of the faucet that is free from microorganisms. The municipal simply does not use chlorine because it is the safest and most effective method for water purification, rather because it is the cheapest method. Furthermore, overexposure to chlorine contaminated can have detrimental effects on your health, causing the following negative outcomes:

• Increases risk of cancer
• Promotes cell damage
• Increases risk of cardio-vascular diseases
• Increases risk of asthma

Children who do not have improved airway systems are at a greater risk of suffering from asthmatic attacks. Additionally, while chlorine used to disinfect pool water does help prevent a number of waterborne diseases and kills harmful bacteria, it is not able to combat recreational water diseases, such as Cryptosporidium, which are prevalent in public pools. Cryptosporidium is among the most common recreational water diseases in the world and is known to cause severe gastrointestinal illness.

2. You Cannot Detect Chlorine in Drinking Water

Pool water consists of combined chlorine and other organic substances such as body oils sweat bugs etc. resulting in a distinct odor that is much stronger than regular chlorine. While drinking water from taps is free from organic waste substances, free chlorine, being a glass evaporates, creating a distinct drinking water smell. You can test the intensity or concentration of chlorine by investing in test strips.

3. Removing Chlorine from Your Water Supply Is an Expensive Process

Carbon water filters that eradicate chlorine and other harmful microorganisms are now being widely used by health conscious consumers who wish to protect their families from the dangers of chlorine contaminated water. These filters and water systems are widely accessible and can be bought at reasonable prices, depending on how big or small your home is.

For smaller apartments and townhouses, you can check our Whole Houser Water Filter 20 and Triple 20. This ingenious water system will filter your water supply at a steady rate of 3-5 gallons per minute. The system is available at a pocket-friendly price of $249.As for larger townhouses and homes, with over 4 people, we offer a range of economical water filtration systems, such as the Eagle 1000 or Big Blue High Flow Whole House that can filter 6-10 gallons per minute flow. Depending on the model you choose, the system can cost you between $700 and $1000.

4. Chlorine Contaminated Water Turns Blond Hair Green

This is simply a myth, to be fair.It is copper that actually turns blonde hair green, not chlorine. While some chlorine manufactures do incorporate copper in their product, it is mostly the copper heater and copper pipes that causes this problem. Letting copper infuse into your hair can cause the drastic change in color. Thanks to the alkaline nature of shampoos since they have a pH value over 9, the copper residue is oxidized by the shampoo resulting in a greenish appearance. The best way to avoid green hair is to ensure the chlorine used to disinfect pools does not contain copper.

These are just a few common myths you should know better than to believe. To learn more about chlorine, browse through our handy user guides. Take the necessary measures to protect your family against harmful contaminants and microorganisms lurking in your drinking water. Do not forget to check out our range of affordable water filtration systems that are proven to remove contaminants such as chlorine.