Residual chlorine

Residual chlorine in tap water may indeed have many effects on human health.

1. Destruction of nutrients

Residual chlorine can destroy nutrients such as minerals and vitamins in fruits, vegetables and other foods. For example, when using tap water containing residual chlorine to wash fruits and vegetables, it may cause the destruction of nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin E, which may cause the human body to lack these essential nutrients in the long run.

2. Risk of chronic poisoning

Long-term use of tap water containing residual chlorine may cause chronic poisoning of body organs. This is because residual chlorine may generate harmful substances such as chloroform and organic lead compounds after reacting with organic acids, which are potentially carcinogenic. In addition, long-term inhalation of low concentrations of chlorine may also cause chronic poisoning.

3. Harm to the respiratory system

Residual chlorine can cause harm to the human respiratory system. Possible symptoms include but are not limited to difficulty breathing and itchy throat. In severe cases, it may also induce rhinitis, bronchitis and even emphysema. Especially in the bathroom, the chlorine-containing steam produced by hot water is more likely to cause adverse reactions such as coughing and asthma after being inhaled.

4. Skin damage

Excessive residual chlorine content in water may irritate the skin, easily cause skin dryness, aging, acne and other problems, and may even cause allergic symptoms such as dermatitis and eczema. Long-term contact with water containing residual chlorine may also cause the skin layer to fall off, which is extremely harmful to skin health. When taking a bath, the amount of chlorine inhaled through the respiratory tract and absorbed by the skin is much higher than the amount entering the human body through drinking, which may cause itching at the mildest and increase the risk of cancer at the worst.

5. Impact on special populations

Pregnant women: Long-term drinking of tap water containing residual chlorine will reduce resistance, affect the growth of the fetal heart and lungs, and may also cause arrhythmia and lung dysfunction in newborns.

Children: When bathing children with water containing residual chlorine, their hair will become dry, broken and split, their skin will bleach, their skin will fall off and allergies will occur. In addition, the hypochlorous acid produced by the reaction of chlorine and water will damage brain cells and affect their development.

Elderly people: Long-term consumption of chlorinated water is prone to heart disease, coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension, etc., and may cause damage to the liver and kidneys all year round.

6. Other health problems

In addition to the above hazards, long-term drinking of water with excessively high residual chlorine content may also cause gastrointestinal discomfort, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, diarrhea, etc.1. At the same time, residual chlorine destroys the balance of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, which in turn affects the functioning of the immune system, which is 70% supported by beneficial bacteria.

In summary, in order to reduce the potential threat of residual chlorine in tap water to human health, the following measures are recommended:

Try to avoid direct use of tap water containing residual chlorine;

Boil the water before drinking, which helps to reduce the residual chlorine content in the water;

If conditions permit, use filtration and purification equipment to further reduce the residual chlorine concentration in the water;

Maintain a healthy lifestyle and enhance the body's immunity to better resist the invasion of harmful substances from the outside world.