What is chloramine?
As an American, the tap water we get in our homes has been subjected to multiple treatment methods. One of such methods is the addition of chlorine or chloramine. Why chloramine? chloramine, just like chlorine, is a disinfectant that helps in killing harmful microorganisms in water. When the cell wall of these germs come in contact with chloramine, they are destroyed. This ensures that the tap water is free of viruses, protozoans, and bacteria, saving you from diarrhea, cholera, hepatitis, typhoid, and other waterborne diseases. Unfortunately, filters, and other non-physical methods, are not effective in removing microorganisms because they are too tiny.
How safe is chloramine?
One of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responsibilities is to regulate the amounts of chemicals added to water for treatment. These chemicals, as used in water treatment, are always below the EPA limits. However, that doesn’t remove the potential risks associated with them.
For instance, chloramine in tap water has certain side effects on our health, which may be more severe in people with existing conditions. When chloramine gets into the body, it combines with air to produce a harmful vapor that impairs breathing. As a result, individuals with a defective respiratory system may experience an increased risk of asthma attacks and other respiratory issues due to difficulty in breathing.
Chloramine also distorts the properties of tap water. If the treated tap water passes through lead or copper pipes before getting to your home, you may have heavy metal deposits in the water.
What Methods Can You Use To Remove Chloramine From Water?
Removing Chloramine from water is possible, and there are different methods to achieve that.
Read : What is the Best Way to Remove Chloramine from Water?
Waterdrop Reverse Osmosis is popular for its high efficiency. It relies on an advanced filtration tech to remove impurities in water. The tiny pores in the semipermeable membrane are rated 0.0001-micron, making it perfect for filtering even the smallest impurities. Only water molecules can pass through the pores. Therefore, reverse osmosis systems can effectively filter chloramine and other contaminants in water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Carbon Filtration is a filtration method that absorbs contaminants in water, including chloramine. The chloramine in the tap water is trapped on the filter surface as it passes through the carbon filer. The larger the contact surface of the filter, the more chloramine it traps.
Catalytic Carbon is also a filtration method that uses catalytic carbon – a form of activated carbon – to remove chloramine. This is why it is usually added to a whole-house filter system, where it helps with the initial filtration.
Is boiling effective against chloramine?
You can only achieve a partial removal of Chloramine when you boil water. This is because the vapor from the boiling water converts the Chloramine to gas and releases it into the air. The continuous conversion takes time, making the method inefficient.
Can chloramine evaporate from water?
Chloramine is more reactive than chlorine. Therefore, the reaction time is longer, making evaporation from water impossible. That is why we recommend the use of a suitable water filter that is effective against chloramine.
Summary
Chloramine seems like almost a harmless component of tap water. But it causes several health issues in humans, including skin allergies, respiratory conditions, and others. The only way to avoid all of these is to remove the chloramine in your tap water. So, get a suitable filter today to keep you and your family safe.