WWI chemical weapon in public water supply: Did you know: One of the most common chemicals in our water supply is the very same poisonous weapon used to kill? To kill hundreds of thousands of soldiers in World War I?

This deadly chemical weapon used in WWI is none other than Chlorine.

First of all, chlorine became the standard way of disinfecting drinking water in 1904. However, it was not because it was the safest or most effective. Rather, it was because chlorine was the cheapest to make.

FACT:  The U.S. Council Of Environmental Quality has admitted that drinking chlorinated water can increase your cancer risk by a whopping 93%!

Yes, 93%! Notably, chlorine’s purpose is to kill bacteria and parasites which are micro-organisms. Yet, aren’t WE living organisms ourselves?!

When you drink chlorinated, sure it kills off some of the harmful bacteria. However, its by-products may then slowly harm the living cells and tissues inside your own body.

Most noteworthy, chlorine is actually not the deadliest chemical in your water. In fact, it’s its by-products of which we need to be cautious.

WWI Chemical Weapon in Public Water Supply – what most people don’t know:

Additionally, chlorine reacts with organic matters such as leaves to create deadly compounds. These compounds are called trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5s). In fact, they are actually 100 times more toxic than chlorine itself!

In addition, the Environmental Defence Fund said, “Although concentrations of these carcinogens (THMs) are low, it is precisely these low levels that cancer scientists believe are responsible for the majority of human cancers in the United States.”

Furthermore, these disinfectant by-products are not only present in your drinking water. Notably, they can be found in your kitchen faucet and your bathtub faucet.

Hence, each time you’re taking a hot steamy shower or bath, you are actually welcoming those toxins into your body!

So, think twice before you take a hot shower. Think thrice before you pour yourself a glass of fresh chlorinated water!

References

“Chlorinated Water – Canadian Cancer Society.” Www.cancer.ca. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2017. 

Group, Edward. “Chlorine, Cancer, and Heart Disease.” Global Healing Center. N.p., 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 09 Jan. 2017.

Jones, Robert, Brandon Wills, and Christopher Kang. “Chlorine Gas: An Evolving Hazardous Material Threat and Unconventional Weapon.” Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, May 2010. Web. 09 Jan. 2017.