'Potentially Toxic' Chemical Byproduct May Be Present in 1/3 of US Drinking Water (nbcnews.com)
- Reference: 0175530069
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/24/11/24/0019202/potentially-toxic-chemical-byproduct-may-be-present-in-13-of-us-drinking-water
- Source link: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/chemical-identified-drinking-water-chloramine-may-be-toxic-rcna181052
"Scientists do not yet know whether the byproduct is dangerous. But some are worried that it could have toxic properties because of similarities to other chemicals of concern."
> The newly identified substance, named "chloronitramide anion," is produced when water is treated with chloramine, a chemical formed by mixing chlorine and ammonia. Chloramine is often used to kill viruses and bacteria in municipal water treatment systems. Researchers said the existence of the byproduct was discovered about 40 years ago, but it was only identified now because analysis techniques have improved, which finally enabled scientists to determine the chemical's structure.
>
> It could take years to figure out whether chloronitramide anion is dangerous — it's never been studied. The researchers [2]reported their findings Thursday in the journal Science , in part to spur research to address safety concerns. The scientists said they have no hard evidence to suggest that the compound represents a danger, but that it bears similarities to other chemicals of concern. They think it deserves scrutiny because it's been detected so widely...
>
> David Reckhow, a research professor in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who was not involved with the study, said the finding was an important step. The ultimate goal, he said, is understanding whether the substance is a hazard; he concurred that it was likely toxic. "It's a pretty small molecule and it can probably for that reason enter into biological systems and into cells. And it is still a reactive molecule," he said. "Those are the kinds of things you worry about."
"It's estimated [3]more than 113 million people drink chloraminated processed water in the U.S.," according to [4]a follow-up article by ABC News .
But they also include this quote from Dr. Stephanie Widmer, a board-certified medical toxicologist and emergency medicine physician. "The reality is that no one really knows too much about this chloronitramide and its impact on human health, and more research needs to be done. These disinfecting chemicals have been giving us clean drinking water for decades, so no reason to fear drinking water as a result of this study." Although ABC News tacks on this sentence.
"The study authors suggest, in general, adding a carbon filter to a sink or a standalone pitcher may be a good option for those concerned."
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader [5]Greymane for sharing the news.
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/chemical-identified-drinking-water-chloramine-may-be-toxic-rcna181052
[2] http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk6749
[3] https://news.uark.edu/articles/72949/researchers-identify-previously-unknown-compound-in-drinking-water#:~:text=Inorganic%20chloramines%20are%20commonly%20used,States%20alone%20drink%20chloraminated%20water.
[4] https://abcnews.go.com/Health/newly-defined-chemical-byproduct-found-drinking-water/story?id=116127390
[5] https://www.slashdot.org/~Greymane
Of course there is. (Score:5, Funny)
It's called "fluoride" and RFK's on the case. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it.
now at least i know using bottled water is good (Score:1)
always used bottled water - the kind that you get using office coolers - at home. now i know it was an excellent idea. i dont mind paying more for the bottled water. at least its classified as a food product.
Re: (Score:2)
You might not want to read up on "microplastics". Just sayin'.
Re: (Score:2)
Microplastics seem concerning on first glance, but is there evidence they actually cause any harm? Most of these microplastics are completely inert. I'd rather not have them present, but it seems like some type scare like "hyper-processing" of foods or some such.
Re: (Score:2)
You seriously shouldn't read up on plastics, micro- or otherwise!
Re: (Score:2)
> always used bottled water
Where do you think bottled water comes from?
Often, it's just tap water.
If it's spring water, it likely contains fluoride.
water is often high in chlorine (Score:1)
Bought a carbon filter for drinking water simply because it was possible on some days to smell the chlorine in it and on most days able to taste it. I believe that's due to periodic "shocking" with high levels of chlorine (don't know why and ).
ozone and UV are both alternatives to chlorine but in the US whatever is cheapest is ALWAYS the right answer.
Re: (Score:2)
> but in the US whatever is cheapest is ALWAYS the right answer.
Cheapest for the one doing it that is, not cheapest for society as it should be.
The dose makes the poison (Score:2)
The is certainly a dose at which this chemical becomes dangerous. And there's certainly a dose at which it is harmless. So, indeed, "further study" is the appropriate step. And it's (probably) not reasonable to get hysterical about it. After all, there are problems with distilled water, too.
P.S.: What's it's boiling point? (For some reason Google doesn't return anything on it's vaporization.) Perhaps we should all switch to coffee and tea. That's not acidic enough to cause it to decompose, but perhaps
Re: The dose makes the poison (Score:2)
Yep. Water becomes toxic at certain intake levels.
Re: (Score:2)
Chloramine breaks down when heated.
Thirty minutes of boiling will remove it.
At room temperature, it has a half-life of about 75 hours.
Exposure to sunlight or other UV will speed up the decomposition.
My tap water has chloramine. When I fill an aquarium, I let it sit for a week before adding fish.
But.. (Score:2)
How many people (in the US) actually drink tap water?
Hidden Research. (Score:2)
You mean it could take years for someone to admit fucking fault, because we’ll probably find those “classified” studies soon.
Re: (Score:2)
> It could take years to figure out whether chloronitramide anion is dangerous — it's never been studied.
You mean it could take years for someone to admit fucking fault, because we’ll probably find those “classified” studies soon.
They shit where they eat (Score:2)
It's one of the things the USA is famous for; shitting where they eat. Other countries find out that something's toxic & they regulate or ban it, e.g. lead. The USA doubled-down on lead for decades after it became known just how toxic & persistent it is.
But don't worry; it mostly only affects poor people, & in the words of George Clinton, "America eats its young."
Re: (Score:2)
But bad teeth often lead to other health problems. The tradeoffs are not so clear cut.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think water fluoridation as it's currently practiced is a health concern, but this is a practice from before a time when dental care and tooth brushing were necessarily as common as it is today.
About a year back, I remember there was a story here, about a water treatment plant in Florida that had a SCADA remtely hacked, and it dumped a bunch of NaOH into the drinking water (which was reported as an "inconvenience"). If this was fluoride, it might have caused a much bigger problem.
Re: (Score:2)
Water fluoridation is a heinous communist conspiracy to sap our precious bodily fluids. They're putting it in ice cream, Mandrake. Ice cream. That children eat!
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
> But bad teeth often lead to other health problems. The tradeoffs are not so clear cut.
Seeing as how we collectively don't give a shit if the poorest Americans can even afford proper healthcare, I'm more inclined to believe the conspiracy that water fluoridation really is just a convenient way to dispose of what would otherwise be a toxic industrial byproduct. Oh wait, [1]it's not actually a conspiracy. [osu.edu]
Additionally, putting it in the water is about as stupid as adding Bengay to your Pepsi because you've got a sore muscle. The correct application for fluoride on teeth is for it to be applied to
[1] https://origins.osu.edu/article/toxic-treatment-fluorides-transformation-industrial-waste-public-health-miracle
Re: (Score:2)
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is...naturally present...in mineral water... In other words, if you tap it straight from a water well, chances are it has fluoride in it that has been there since pangea. The concentration of it varies by region, same as every other mineral.
Re: (Score:2)
> Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is...naturally present...in mineral water...
Radon is naturally occurring too. Of course, [1]the mistaken belief that radioactivity was a healthful thing [orau.org] didn't last long enough for the government to jump on that bandwagon.
Also, my younger brother's home is on a well and I can tell you with absolute certainty that well water isn't always the gold standard for what you'd ideally want to be drinking. His water stinks to high heaven, stains everything brown, and I've lost count of how many washing machines he's been through due to scale build-up of the in
[1] https://www.orau.org/health-physics-museum/collection/radioactive-quack-cures/jars/radium-water-jar-1920s-1930s.html
Re: (Score:3)
"The correct application for fluoride on teeth is for it to be applied topically rather than orally,"
So you put it on your teeth, but not while they are in your mouth.
Re: (Score:2)
> So you put it on your teeth, but not while they are in your mouth.
In the case of a drug, oral administration implies that it's being swallowed for systemic application, and topical application means the drug is only applied to a specific part of the body. So, a drug that is applied inside the oral cavity is still considered topical if you aren't swallowing it. English is full of hilarious little idiosyncrasies such as that, and everybody on the internet loves when someone is quick to point them out at every given opportunity. /s
Re: rfk jr (Score:2)
> Seeing as how we collectively don't give a shit if the poorest Americans can even afford proper healthcare
Obamacare plans start at about $25/month with subsidies. Medicaid is free. I agree there are idiots who try to squash Medicaid, but that's waining.
Re: (Score:2)
> Obamacare plans start at about $25/month with subsidies.
You do know that "start at" is one of those weasel-word phrases used by marketers when they don't want you to think about what something actually costs. It's like I can say "A Tesla Model 3 starts at $100" (for a totaled one on Copart, but who's counting?)
Funny thing is, they actually run those ACA ads here in Florida, where those $25 plans are pure unobtanium because Florida is one of the ten states which didn't accept the ACA expansion. You'd think the government would've recorded a separate commercial
Re: (Score:2)
> Seeing as how we collectively don't give a shit if the poorest Americans can even afford proper healthcare
The poorest Americans qualify for Medicaid. The 7% of Americans lacking health insurance are mostly middle-class self-employed people.
Hyperbole that Americans "don't give a shit" about each other because they don't support your political agenda is why Democrats have difficulty winning elections. Stop the insults and start listening.
Re: (Score:2)
> The poorest Americans qualify for Medicaid.
Unless they live in [1]the 10 states which rejected the ACA. [stateline.org] According to that article, there's 1.6 million people without health coverage. I'm sure the results of the recent election don't bear repeating, but yes, collectively America voted that this situation is totally acceptable. Because you just shouldn't be poor in those ten states, I suppose.
Now, contrast that against what you'll need to spend if your water happens to be non-fluoridated. [2]A $1.25 tube of toothpaste [dollartree.com] is hardly an unreasonable burden (a
[1] https://stateline.org/2024/07/19/in-the-10-states-that-didnt-expand-medicaid-1-6m-cant-afford-health-insurance/
[2] https://www.dollartree.com/ultra-brite-clean-mint-advanced-whitening-toothpaste-6oz-tubes/158066
Re: (Score:2)
The Swiss put fluoride their water. Swiss health statistics are excellent.
Re: (Score:2)
Not if there's Reinheitsgebot beer available.
Re: (Score:1)
> But bad teeth often lead to other health problems. The tradeoffs are not so clear cut.
False choice, Toothpaste FTW.
Re: (Score:3)
I'm truly loving this American experiment in governance. Let the 6 year olds fly the plane for a little bit, why not?