Your Drinking Water Might Be Increasing Your Cancer Risk

A recent study found that the chlorination levels in the U.S. and EU drinking water might increase the risk of different cancers.

Experts use chlorine as part of the water treatment process to eliminate any infectious diseases or other harmful organisms in our drinking water. However, according to the research, using chlorine to disinfect water leads to the production of trihalomethane (THM) byproducts, which can cause a variety of health issues, including cancer and reproductive problems. In fact, it increases the risk of bladder cancer by 33 percent and colorectal cancer by 15 percent.

“Trihalomethanes are cancer-causing contaminants that form during water treatment with chlorine and other disinfectants,” the Environmental Working Group (EWG) states on its website.

“Studies conducted in the U.S. and Europe have found that drinking tap water that carries disinfection byproducts increases the risk of developing bladder cancer,” EWG continued. “Some human epidemiological studies also reported an association between disinfection byproducts and an increased risk of problems during pregnancy, including spontaneous miscarriage, cardiovascular defects, neural tube defects, and low birth weight.”