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Water chlorination levels in US and EU likely increase cancer risk, study finds (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/health@lemmy.world
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Summary

A recent meta-analysis of 30 studies involving 90,000 participants found that water chlorination levels common in the US and EU likely increase bladder cancer risk by 33% and colorectal cancer risk by 15%.

Chlorine reacts with organic matter to form trihalomethanes (THM), toxic byproducts present in nearly all public water systems.

Although chlorine disinfection has reduced waterborne diseases, these findings pose regulatory challenges.

Alternatives exist but are costly. Experts recommend continued tap water use with effective filtration, such as granulated activated carbon.

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[–] 6 points 2 years ago* (3 children)

I got a steel countertop water still a few years ago and it's changed the game for me. The chemicals left in the chamber after all the water is gone is so disgusting, it often takes several minutes of scrubbing to get it all out.

I got tired of scrubbing so I got a timer that stops the device with about 1/6th of the water remaining. I can simply dump out the highly concentrated remainder without needing to scrub the boiling chamber.

I like these devices because they are simple and don't have any plastic components. I suspect this one will last me for the rest of my life with minor repairs. It fully removes everything and doesn't add in micro plastic like almost every filter system does.

Also it turns out I absolutely love the taste of distilled water (if it's stored in glass). It tastes nothing like the gross cheap plastic jugs from the grocery store. It's silky and refreshing. It actually got me to drink a lot more water!

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  • [–] 25 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Not to rain on your parade, but you have to be careful with your diet if you are drinking distilled water because you are not getting the essential electrolites contained in mineral water (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium)

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    To be honest I haven't yet seen a study that indicates that it's actually unhealthy to drink distilled water if you're otherwise eating a healthy balanced diet. The only study that seems to indicate that it's a problem is if a person is already seriously malnourished and the trace amounts of minerals in water was actually making up a significant portion of their intake of those minerals.

    I eat several cups of green vegetables a day which has a thousand times more of all of those minerals then tap water. I'm not concerned that missing out on a few micrograms of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium is going to cause a problem if I'm otherwise getting all of those by the milligram in my food.

    If you have studies to show otherwise I'd be happy to see them. I did buy a mineral supplement to put in water but it makes it taste pretty salty so I haven't been using it very much.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    The residue left over after boiling water is probably mostly calcium (if white) or iron (if orange/brown). Both are from dissolved minerals in the water source. If you need to clean anything stained by either, vinegar should dissolve the minerals with minimal effort. I'd avoid vinegar on anything stone (like countertops), as some types of stone will dissolve in the presence of acid.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    It's more of a yellow and smells vaguely like urine, but also very acerbic and foul. There's off-yellow crystals at the bottom of the chamber. I'm no expert, just I know I'd rather drink my own urine than drink what's left in that chamber after running a gallon through it. It's revolting and makes me gag to smell it.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Which one do you recommend?

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