Mysterious chemical found in U.S. tap water has been identified

A recent study has revealed a startling fact: an unidentified chemical byproduct could be present in the tap water in approximately one-third of U.S. homes.

Now, before you put down your glass of water, let’s emphasize that scientists are not yet sure whether this byproduct is harmful. However, they are worried that it could be, due to the characteristics of the molecules.

Chemical byproduct in water

This mysterious substance, dubbed “chloronitramide anion,” is the offspring of chloramine – a chemical that, ironically, is used to treat water to make it safe for human consumption.

Chloramine is a concoction of chlorine and ammonia that kills viruses and bacteria in water treatment systems, and the newly-identified substance is produced when chloramine breaks down.

“It has similarity to other toxic molecules,” said David Wahman, one of the study’s authors and a research environmental engineer at the Environmental Protection Agency.

“We looked for it in 40 samples in 10 U.S. chlorinated drinking water systems located in seven states. We did find it in all the samples.”

Methods of water treatment

Chloramine has been trusted for about a hundred years to keep our water free of pathogens. It’s often used to maintain the water that stays in our pipes for several days after leaving a water treatment plant.

In fact, chloramine has become the preferred water warrior. Chlorine, the alternative disinfectant, also produces byproducts – some of which are linked to the incidence of bladder cancer and are patrolled by the EPA.

Gauging the safety of chemicals in water

David Reckhow, a research professor in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who wasn’t part of the study, thinks the discovery is significant. His major concern is understanding whether this newfound substance is hazardous.

“It’s a pretty small molecule and it can probably for that reason enter into biological systems and into cells. And it is still a reactive molecule. Those are the kinds of things you worry about,” explained Reckhow.

“We can go about the hard work of trying to figure out what its toxicological relevance is in our water systems,” said Julian Fairey, the study’s lead author and an associate professor at the University of Arkansas.

While this ongoing investigation may cause controversy, past studies have alluded to a connection between disinfected drinking water and higher rates of certain cancers.

Whether these risks are associated with the newly-identified compound is yet to be determined.

Regulation of water byproducts

Drawing conclusions about the potential toxicity of chloronitramide anion and establishing regulations based on those findings is more likely to be a marathon than a sprint.

“It’s a lot (of time) – probably a decade of research once a funding source is found,” said Alan Roberson, executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators.

In the meantime, water utilities should take the ongoing research into account and try to limit public exposure. “You do what you can to minimize. You make the best judgment you can on the toxicity and you run with incomplete information,” said Reckhow.

New questions about chloramine

This study has also cast doubt on whether, from a health perspective, chloramine is indeed a safer disinfection process than chlorine.

“This study really calls into question whether or not this disinfection process is safer from a health perspective,” said David Andrews, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization that pushes for more scrutiny of chemicals. 

He noted that there are several disinfection byproducts found in water systems but that this one deserves scrutiny. 

Health risks of water byproducts

Any treatment of drinking water involves some level of health risk.

While disinfection processes have largely eradicated waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid, research suggests that some byproducts may pose cancer risks and increase the chances of miscarriage or low birth-weight babies.

Yet, these processes are crucial to neutralize real bacterial and viral threats. Thankfully, many U.S. water utilities provide information on their websites about whether the supplied water is treated with chlorine or chloramine.

There is also some evidence that activated carbon filters, like those used in home water purification devices or fridge filters, can rid water of disinfectant byproducts. However, more research is needed.

The study is published in the journal Science.

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