It was used as a poison mustard gas in World War I
and as a chemical weapon in the Iraq War. It's the primary ingredient in bleach
and in disinfectants. It's also used to make plastics, insecticides, and
solvents for dry cleaning and metal degreasing.
So you have to believe me when I tell you that
anything with this type of resume couldn't possibly be good to swallow. And in
fact, plenty of studies have shown that you could also add carcinogen to its
lengthy list of accomplishments.
If all of this is true, there's just one thing I
want to know: Why is the government dumping it into our water???
Chances are, if you had lived in the 19th century,
you would have been as gung-ho about adding chlorine to the water supply as
everyone else was. People were so scared, you could have told them you were
adding arsenic to the water and they would have gulped it up. That's because
everyone lived in fear of contracting a waterborne disease such as typhoid
fever, cholera, or dysentery. And it's no wonder: People who contracted cholera,
for example, suffered from vomiting and diarrhea so severe that they could be
dead less than twenty-four hours after coming down with it.
But acting out of fear never did anyone much
good--not in the long run, anyway. In this case, the harmful effects of a
lifetime of drinking and bathing in chlorinated water are much more silent--but
just as deadly--as the diseases it was meant to save you from.
Chlorine has been proven to harden arteries,
destroy proteins in the body, irritate the skin and sinuses, and aggravate
asthma, allergies, and respiratory problems. But chlorine also has a number of
byproducts, each of which carries its own list of side effects. Chloroform
speeds the aging process and causes cholesterol to oxidize, and DCA (Dichloro
acidic acid) has been shown to cause liver cancer in lab animals.
In fact, a U.S. Council of Environmental Quality
study states that "Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93%
higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine." Is that a clear
message, or what?
So what's so dangerous about this chemical? Not
much, in and of itself. But when chlorine is combined with other sources, most
of them organic (or natural), it takes on a whole new form--literally.
One of the main reasons why chlorine is so useful
for so many different applications is because it so readily combines with other
substances. The problem is, once it combines with other compounds--even if the
compounds themselves are completely safe--the end results can form deadly toxins
such as dioxin and PCBs, and carcinogens such as THMs (trihalo-methanes) and MXs
(unknown mutagens).
Like it or not, if you're drinking tap water, you
can be sure you're gulping down these and other carcinogens by the glassful. But
don't just take my word for it. Studies have shown that both THMs and MXs are
present in the vast majority of all water supplies that have been treated with
chlorine. Here's why: When chlorine combines with humus (the final breakdown
stage of substances such as leaves and vegetation) and with other organic matter
present in the water, it creates THMs.
But newer research has shown that the MXs--those
unknown mutagens--are 170 times more harmful than THMs. One study done in
Finland found that MXs caused significant damage to the thyroid gland and also
led to the development of cancerous tumors. The most frightening part about
these deadly toxins is that they're formed when chlorine interacts with
phytochemicals found in plants.
You know that I frown on purely vegetarian diets
and that I believe it's foolhardy to think that you can eat a truly nutritious,
fully balanced diet without animal fat and protein. But I've never said that
fruits and vegetables are BAD for you. In fact, most contain nutrients that are
very GOOD for you--substances such as Coenzyme Q10, vitamin B2, and vitamin E,
just to name a very few. It's substances just like these (whether you get them
in their whole food form or from a supplement)-- ones that have been shown to
have numerous anti-cancer properties--that chlorine can latch on to and mutate
into lethal MXs.
But relying on bottled water or buying a filter
for your faucet isn't good enough--not by a long shot. Because as harmful as
chlorine can be when you absorb it through your digestive tract, it's nothing
compared to the toxic levels you absorb through inhalation. Unless you're one
who frequents indoor pools, the most toxic place you can be is in your shower.
The steam that's created when you take a hot shower is filled with chlorine that
enters directly into your lungs.
Unfortunately, the mucous membranes of your
bronchi, the breathing tubes that connect your larynx to your lungs, are highly
absorbent of basic chemicals such as chlorine. Breathing it in provides a more
direct portal for the substance to enter your bloodstream--which then spreads it
though your entire body.
Through the years dozens of readers have asked me
if it's safe to swim in pools because of the high chlorine content. The answer
is without a doubt, "no."
Although there are restrictions on the levels of
THMs permitted in tap water, there's no limit on the amount permitted in pool
water. This poses a real threat to swimmers because, again, you absorb more
through your skin and through inhalation than you do through your digestive
tract. One particular study showed that the dose of chloroform, a specific THM,
was 141 times higher than what you'd get from a 10-minute shower and 93 percent
higher than what you'd get from a glass of chlorinated tap water.
You don't have to be a sprocket scientist (a
highly trained changer of light bulbs) to realize that the byproducts of
chlorine aren't just IN the pool--they're around the water as well. Several
studies have shown that people who swim in or work around indoor pools have a
much higher incidence of asthma. And researchers in Belgium found that this
toxic exposure increased the permeability of the lung epithelium, making it even
easier for the substance to spread throughout your system.
Dr. K. Thickett, a researcher at the Occupational
Lung Diseases Unit at the Birmingham Heartlands Hospital said, "Our results
show, indeed, that nitrogen trichloride (produced by chlorine) is a cause of
occupational asthma in indoor swimming pool workers like lifeguards and swim
instructors."
Trichloride is one of those byproducts I told you
about that forms when chlorine mixes with an organic substance. (In a swimming
pool that would most likely result from sweat, dander, urine, or other bodily
substances.) Other byproducts are formed as a result as well, but I don't think
I need to mention them all individually. The point is that they're there--and
they're extremely dangerous.
So what should you do in the face of this
unrelenting chemical warfare against you and your family? There's only one
answer: Eliminate chlorine from your environment.
Here's what you'll need to do:
- Purchase a filter for your shower. I recommend
the ShowerSafe filter from Dr. Roy Speicer. To order one, call (800)444-3563
and give them this order code: AG11073.
- Buy a reverse-osmosis filter. This is a great
filter because it sifts out heavy metals and contaminants--and it removes
harmful additives such as chlorine and fluoride. The filter should be placed
where the water comes into the house so that it covers the water supply going
through your entire house.
- If you don't want to purchase a filter for your
drinking water, I suggest that you buy bottled water from private companies.
But you must be careful: Much of the bottled water is bogus tap water. You
must see a report from an independent laboratory to verify that this water is
truly potable.
- Don't put chlorine in your pool. A much better
option is to treat the water with hydrogen peroxide, ozone gas, or ultraviolet
light. Although the initial cost is higher, you'll save money in the long run
because it will reduce operating and maintenance costs. Contact your pool
service to see if they carry these technologies or if they can point you to a
local company that does.
- If you want to speak to an expert in the field,
you could always consult with a water engineer at your local college. He can
advise you on reverse-osmosis filters, hydrogen peroxide addition to the
water, and even the use of salt water as a purification system for your pool.
When it comes to removing these toxins from your
environment, no one makes it easy or inexpensive. But trust me (in the words of
L'Oreal): You're worth it.
Chlorine has got to go. And I predict that it
will, eventually. But don't get your hopes up when the experts and
bureaucrats introduce the next wave of chemical additives. You can bet
your bottom dollar that they'll be 10 times worse than chlorine and fluoride
ever were. They'll be untested just as chlorine and fluoride were
untested, and we'll be the guinea pigs--just as before.
In fact, the water people are now playing around
with chloramines, a chlorine/ammonia mix that may be 300 times more toxic than
the chloroform you're drinking now. This new mix of old toxins is linked
to iodoacids, which have been found to be extremely toxic in laboratory animals.
Drink up!
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Last modified:
June 26, 2010
