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50 years in the past, U.S. consuming water sparked well being and security issues


EPA to check faucet water carcinogens Science Information, November 16, 1974

There’s proof that clear consuming water in some localities could comprise carcinogenic compounds. Most of the compounds detected comprise chlorine and a few scientists assume chlorine added to purify the water could also be combining with natural substances not eliminated throughout filtration to type the damaging substances.

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These findings hastened the passage of the Protected Consuming Water Act, which licensed the U.S. Environmental Safety Company to set minimal requirements for ranges of contaminants (SN: 3/29/75, p. 208). Chlorine continues to be used to kill waterborne pathogens, however the EPA limits ranges of its by-products trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. Lengthy-term publicity to those chemical substances has been linked with an elevated threat of most cancers. Now, the company is concentrating on lead and PFAS, or without end chemical substances, which have been linked with myriad well being issues (SN: 11/29/22). The EPA not too long ago set requirements for PFAS and mandated that almost all lead pipe service traces get replaced inside a decade.

Karen Kwon is the analysis and particular initiatives editor at Science Information. She earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Columbia College and a grasp’s diploma in journalism from New York College’s Science, Well being and Environmental Reporting Program.


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