An important tool for keeping our drinking water clean may be riskier than we thought.
New research finds link between water chlorination and an increased risk of certain cancers.
Chlorine has beenroutinely usedto disinfect drinking and recreational water since the early 20th century.
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Its helped eradicate or reduce the spread of dangerous diseases like typhoid fever and cholera.
But chlorine and other disinfectants are known to have their drawbacks.
Earlier reviews of the data generally foundlimited evidenceof a link between THMs and bladder and colorectal cancers.
So the Karolinska scientists sought to conduct their own updated meta-analysis of the research.
They ultimately analyzed data from 29 papers, the latest published just last year.
Though most of the studies looked at bladder and colorectal cancer, 14 cancers in total were evaluated.
The researchers failed to find a significant link between THM exposure and any other cancers besides the two.
There are other technologies that can disinfect drinking water nowadays, such as ultraviolet light treatment.
And practices such as removing organic matter from water before its treated with chlorine could potentially lower THM levels.
They also arent telling the public to go cold turkey on drinking tap water based on their findings.
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