Giving Compass' Take:

• According to a new study, mixing drinking water with chlorine - the United States’ most common method of disinfecting drinking water - creates previously unidentified toxic byproducts.

• Is it effective to invest in technology solutions for clean water? How can funders best address this crisis and other ongoing water crisis? 

• Clean and affordable water for all, starts at home. Click here to find out more. 

“There’s no doubt that chlorine is beneficial; chlorination has saved millions of lives worldwide from diseases such as typhoid and cholera since its arrival in the early 20th century,” says lead author Carsten Prasse from, an assistant professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

“THE DISCOVERY OF THESE PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN, HIGHLY TOXIC BYPRODUCTS, RAISES THE QUESTION HOW MUCH CHLORINATION IS REALLY NECESSARY.”

“But that process of killing potentially fatal bacteria and viruses comes with unintended consequences. The discovery of these previously unknown, highly toxic byproducts, raises the question how much chlorination is really necessary.”

Phenols, which are chemical compounds that occur naturally in the environment and are abundant in personal care products and pharmaceuticals, are commonly found in drinking water. When these phenols mix with chlorine, the process creates a large number of byproducts.

Current analytical chemistry methods, however, can’t detect and identify all of these byproducts, some which may be harmful and can cause long-term health consequences, says Prasse.

Read the full article about chlorine in drinking water by Johns Hopkins University via Futurity.