August 12, 2010
Thursday PM

Many people across the lower 48 and in other countries consider Chloramine to be a Pandora's Box. I have listed here only some of the things that have been observed after chloramination of water supplies.

1.INFRASTRUCTURE
A. Rubber parts not only in toilets, but gaskets around dishwasher doors disintegrate.
B. Washing machines and hot water heaters (which explode out the bottom) are affected.
C. Chloramine removes from pipes the biofilm of chlorine (which harbors bacteria that are usually harmless) but grows its own biofilm which harbors coliform bacteria. That is why chlorine burns are done every year. No chlorinated system has chloramine burns to clean them out.
D. Dr. Marc Edwards of the University of Virginia has done extensive testing and confirmed that chloramine leaches lead from copper pipes and brass fittings - even lead free. He found it leaches the plasticizers from plastic pipe causing them to become brittle. These known carcinogens go into the water. Dr. Edwards was the first to make the connection between chloramine and lead leaching in Washington DC. He was subsequently fired for his efforts to protect the public.
E. Pinhole leaks can form because of the corrosivity of chloramine. If it happens to the pipes in walls it may promote the growth of black mold, in which case the house must be destroyed.

2.ENVIRONMENT
A. Discharges from wastewater treatment plants, broken water mains or brittle plastic pipes, even washing cars kill fish, frogs, and amphibians if this water reaches a nearby stream or inlet.
B. Nitrification, the production of carcinogenic nitrates by bacteria, can only be corrected by using huge amounts of chlorine or dumping all of the contaminated water, flushing the system with chlorine, and starting over.

3. HEALTH
A. No studies have been done to determine a level of chloramine which is safe for humans.
B. No studies have been done on the health effects people are experiencing when they are exposed to chloramine.
C. Chloramine is a chemical that dries the mucous membranes. Skin is also affected because it is the major organ coming in contact with chloramine.
So think hair, scalp, skin. Eyes, sinuses, lungs. Mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, bowel. Symptoms may start as minor inconveniences but will get worse. Chloramine is a chemical irritant not an allergy, although it will mimic allergies. I don t want to put ideas in people s heads about exact symptoms but I ask everyone to pay attention to your bodies if you are exposed to chloramine and call the Ketchikan MSD and Citizens Concerned About Chloramine (CCAC) www.chloramine.org to relate what you are experiencing.

4.DBPs
A. Chlorine has been extensively studied and most of its DBPs are known. The issues with THMs and pregnancy problems have been disproven and the bladder cancer scare is rare and easily treated. Dr. Richard Bull, who has been studying water issues for over thirty years, calls the linkage of THMs with health effects junk science .
B. The DBPs of chloramine were not studied before it was approved as an alternate disinfectant. Now, DBPs are being discovered that are not only toxic to cells, they can alter DNA.

5.SOME ALTERNATIVES
A. Pre-filtration.
B. UV light.
C. Membrane filtration.
D. Aeration to remove the volatile THMs.
E. Any combination of the above or others not mntioned above.

Please do not release the Pandora's Box of chloramine on your neighbors or on your families. Please study our website, www.chloramine.org, and look for an alternative. Denise Johnson-Kula, the president of CCAC and I would be very happy to talk with you to discuss the options. Denise's phone number is (408) 227-5767. You can contact me at (650)355-6447 or lindacor@earthlink.net or through our website.

Linda Corwin
lindacor[AT]earthlink.net
Pacifica, CA

About: "I am Vice President of Citizens Concerned About Chloramine, a grass roots organization that was formed by people who were sickened after chloramine was introduced to the San Francisco Peninsula in 2004."

Received August 12, 2010 - Published August 12, 2010

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