IF ALL THE WATER ON EARTH WAS PUT IN A SPHERE

A highly toxic and unnecessary

treatment alternative

CHLO

RIN

EA

MM

ON

IA

Chlorine Most effective disinfectant for drinking water Effectively kills e-coli, rotaviruses and polio 1 Successfully used nation-wide over 100

years Dissipates quickly – protecting environment

and minimally affecting people

So, Why Chloramine?

Organic Material + Chlorine = Disinfection in Raw Water Byproducts

(DBP)DBPs of Chlorine

Trihalomethanes (TTHM)Haloacetic Acids (HAA)

STAGE 1Average across all testing locations

must be in compliance

40 50 60 180 130 50 60 30 20 40 30 140 90 30 20 50

AVERAGE75 ppb TTMs - compliance 52 ppb HAAs - compliance

STAGE 1Average across all testing locations

40 50 60 180 130 50 60 30 20 40 30 140 90 30 20 50

This method allowed people in some testing locations toBe exposed to unacceptable levels of byproducts

STAGE 2Average in each location over 4 quarters

Same levels – different calculation

1st 30 40

2nd 20 80

3rd 130 150

4th 50 90

THMs 57.5 90 compliance non-compliance

Need to reduce TTHMs and HAAs

Options offered by EPA:

Better filtration of organics before disinfectionUV Light

Chlorine DioxideChloramine

Cheapest alternative = chloramine

CHLORAMINEADVANTAGES:

Ammonia binds to chlorine – maintains residual in longer lines – no booster

needed - reduces reactivity to organic material - thereby reducing formation of TTHMs and HAAsChloramine is cheap

- HOWEVER………

CHLORAMINEDISADVANTAGES:

Adverse SHORT TERM health effectsAdverse LONG TERM health effectsLEAST EFFECTIVE BIOCIDEFatal to aquatic life and watershedsCorrodes pipes and fixtures/leaches leadHomeland Security riskCan’t be filtered outDoes not dissipate

HEALTHEFFECTS

SHORT TERM HEALTH EFFECTSThousands of people in over 30 states reporting:

Persistent skin rashes - burns In Westmoreland, PA

Pennsylvania

Exposed to chloraminated Not exposed to water for 3 minutes chloramine

In Colorado

In Vermont

Respiratory - Asthma like symptoms Mono-Chloramine speciates into di-, tri-Chloramine with change in temperature and pH Tri-chloramine – known respiratory irritant

In study intended to measure dermal affect – 100% of test mice died from inhaling tri-chloramine vapor

Digestive ailments –

Reflux Colitis

Painful stomach

LONG TERM HEALTH EFFECTSOrganic Material + Chloramine = Nitrogen in Raw Water Disinfection

Byproducts (NDBP)

DBPs of Chloramine N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)

Hydrazine (rocket fuel)DXAA

Iodoacetic Acid

LONG TERM HEALTH EFFECTS:

Creates a new, more toxic family of byproducts NDMA HYDRAZINE DXAA IODOACETIC ACID

* Up to 100,000 times MORE TOXIC than TTHM/HAA * More toxic at smaller doses * Genotoxic, Cytotoxic and Mutagenic * Cannot be filtered out * Absorbed through skin in shower, bath, pool * NDMA and Hydrazine = ‘probable’ human carcinogens * Formed in distribution system

Chlorine Chloramine

Mammalian Cell Cytotoxicity if Genotoxicity of Disinfection By-ProductsDrs. Michael Plewa & Elizabeth D. Wagner (2009) Water Research Foundation

Chloramine Byproducts Comparative Toxicity

Iodo Acids – Byproduct of Chloramine

Common household products can react with Chloramine to form NDMAs

Commonly used shampoos, conditioners and soaps contain ingredients that can react with chloramine to form NDMAs

Suave shampoo and Dawn dish detergent positively identified as forming NDMAs in chloraminated water

INEFFECTIVE BIOCIDEChloramine is the LEAST effective biocide of all

the available treatments

* 2,000 times less effective in killing e-coli, rotaviruses and polio 1 than Chlorine.

* World Health Organization warns not to sacrifice bio-cidal effect because of

possible byproduct issues

Documented Fish Kills

in Virginia, California and British Columbia * Feb 2013-SanMateo- “the creek looks sterile”

* McLean in NOVA ---9 miles of stream killed - “everything down to the earthworms”

* Henrico Co Fish Kill in Feb 2012* Protected Steel Head Trout

* 1000 species of salmonids and invertebrates

FISH KILLS

CORROSIVE – LEACHES LEAD AND PITS COPPER

Washington D.C. – 4 years – EPA and CDC ignored evidence of high levels of lead in the water after chloramine started – law suits by parents are pending – 1000’s of children exposed for 4 years - no amount of lead is safe for children.

In NY, high lead levels even with corrosion inhibitor

California – Developer suing water authority for pitted copper pipes throughout new development

HIGH LEAD – WEST VIEW WATERJuly to September 2010 * 19 out of 98 homes elevated lead levels

* levels of up to 130 ppb, more than 8 times the maximum allowed

by EPA * problem began when authority began using

chloramine

Excessive lead found in tap water after chloramine was implemented

West View, PA- * 19 out of 98 homes elevated lead levels

* levels of up to 130 ppb * > 8X the EPA maximum

Greenville, NCDuke study

Chapel Hill, NC Lead-free brass fittings

Poughkeepsie, NYCould not control lead leaching despite pH changes and corrosion inhibitorsReverted back to chlorine

Chloramine pits copper pipeCalifornia – Developer

suing water authority for pitted copper pipes throughout new development.

Seeking more than $20 million in damages, citing product liability, negligence, private nuisance and breach of warranty

Representative failures from buildings after a utility switched to chloramine –

from Marc Edwards 2003

Rubber and elastomer – life span in chlorine = 5-6 YEARS in chloramine = 5-6 MONTHS

Chloraminated Tap Water

HOMELAND SECURITYChloramine - chlorine + ammonia is more stable, less reactive

- Intentional contamination of our water –Chlorine will attack – levels will drop –alarms will go offChloramine will not readily react –

levels will NOT drop and NO alarms will go off

US Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Lab, Champaign, Il. 61826

FILTRATION Home v. Water treatment facility Point of Use and Whole House Filters

* only reduces the mono-chloramine * does not affect di- and tri- chloramine* does not reduce or eliminate toxic byproducts* does not protect you at school, work, vacation, family

homes, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, etc* expensive + continuing expense – paying for protection

from water we are paying to receive

Water treatment facility filtration* Can reduce TTHMs and HAAs and not use chloramine if

implement more effective pre-disinfection filtration

GAC is an EPA BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY

for the following contaminants

• Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)• Mercury and Cadmium• Natural Organic Matter• Synthetic Organic Chemicals (specifically:benzo(a)pyrene, di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, hexachlorobenzene,

dioxin)• Radionuclides

OTHER ISSUESCompelling anecdotal evidence - not scientifically

confirmed:

Chloramine may also effect –* rising autism

*reduced bee population*birds*cats*plant growth*beer production*bread production

ADVANTAGES: DISADVANTAGES:

1. maintains residual 1. Short term health effects2. reduces TTHMs and 2. Long term health effects HAAs 3. Ineffective biocide3. it’s cheap 4. Fish kills and watersheds

5. Lead leaching-pipe pitting6. watershed contamination7. Homeland Security risk8. can’t be filtered out9. doesn’t dissipate or boil out 10. may be obsolete in near future11. wastes water12. Long term – expensive consequences