Hidden Dangers in Your Tap: What You Need to Know

Chlorine has been used for over a century to treat water, and it's been effective in preventing waterborne illnesses. However, the discovery of harmful byproducts like THMs and HAAs has raised concerns about the safety of our drinking water. While there are ways to filter out these chemicals at home, the cost can be a barrier for many people. It's important to be aware of the potential risks and take steps to ensure that our drinking water is as safe as possible. The use of chlorine to treat water has been around for over a century. Back in 1908, Jersey City, New Jersey, started using it to fight off nasty waterborne illnesses like cholera and typhoid fever. This method became the standard for keeping water safe. But by the 1970s, scientists discovered that chlorine can create harmful byproducts like THMs and haloacetic acids (HAAs). These chemicals have been linked to cancer and reproductive issues. So, we have a problem. We can't just stop using chlorine because we need to keep our water safe from germs. But we also need to find a way to deal with these unwanted byproducts. THMs have been detected at 38. 1 ppb in NYC’s water supply. That's a lot higher than the recommended limit of 0. 15 parts per billion (ppb) set by the Environmental Working Group. The good news is that there are ways to filter out these harmful chemicals at home. Granular activated carbon filters can do the trick. But let's be real—installing new filtration systems can be costly. And who wants to spend extra money on something that should already be safe? This isn't the first time we've heard about harmful chemicals in our drinking water. There have been recent reports about "forever chemicals" linked to a higher incidence of certain cancers. It's enough to make you think twice before taking a sip from the tap. So, what do we do? We can't just ignore this. There are ways to make our water safer, but it's going to take some effort and investment. We need to think about what we're drinking and make sure it's as safe as possible. Chlorine has been used for over a century to treat water, and it's been effective in preventing waterborne illnesses. However, the discovery of harmful byproducts like THMs and HAAs has raised concerns about the safety of our drinking water. While there are ways to filter out these chemicals at home, the cost can be a barrier for many people. It's important to be aware of the potential risks and take steps to ensure that our drinking water is as safe as possible.