Water & Chlorine
chlo·rine
[klawr-een, -in, klohr-] noun
a halogen element, a heavy, greenish-yellow, incombustible, water-soluble poisonous gas that is highly irritating to the respiratory organs, used for water purification, in the making of bleaching powder, and in the manufacture both of chemicals that do not contain chlorine, as ethylene glycol, and of those that do.
Symbol: Cl; atomic weight: 35.453; atomic number: 17.
Chlorine is a very powerful chemical commonly used to disinfect and sanitize water. Chlorine has the ability to oxidize and destroy almost anything it comes in contact with.
Don't get me wrong. Chlorine is not a bad thing. In fact, Chlorine would have saved more lives than perhaps all other medicines put together. Chlorine disinfects your water, kills microbes and makes it safe. As long as we ensure residual Chlorine is removed from your water - not just drinking - your shower water as well; we are not at risk.
Listed below are some of the harmful effects of Chlorine exposure through the water you come in contact with,
every day.
Water & Hair
A lot of us attribute hair thinning, hair breakage and eventual hair loss to bad water; and this is true in most cases - water can really 'make or break' it. We usually notice how good water is when we are away on a break at a country side or a hill station where the water is yet quite natural and pure. But we tend of often forget how bad the water in your city home is, because that's what you get normally and we get used to it. For city dwellers, it's not an exaggeration to call pure water is a luxury.
We cannot bring mountain water to our homes. What we can do though, is help remove/reduce some of this nasty contaminants from your shower water! Although not technically a contaminant, Chlorine exposure can be quite harmful to us. Chlorine takes away the moisture from skin, hair and scalp. You may use shampoo and conditioners, and yes, they can be of help, however most of them are not developed to neutralze the effect of Chlorine.
Even if they do, 'dermal absorption' or your skin absorbing the water and chlorine is another threat and in fact more harmful than drinking the same amount of water. Our digestive system does a fairly good job of fighting the pollutants, but our skin and scalp is 'exposed' and absorbs more chlorine than you would imagine.
Chlorine can also bond to the hair, draining essential oils that are there naturally to protect and nourish our hair. This leads to hair becoming dry, brittle and unruly. Apart from chlorine, flourides, lead, mercury etc. are also known to contribute (need a negative word here) to hair loss.
By reducing Chlorine from your shower water, you can also can reduce fading of color-treated hair, making dyes last longer and reducing the time between visits to the hair salon. Remember bleach is mostly Chlorine! Most of these are not short terms concerns, you may not see any significant change in a day or two or a week. However prolonged exposure to chlorinated water, you should definitely be able to notice changes in your hair texture and health.
Water & Skin
The fact is dermal absorption contributes to more chlorine entering your body than drinking 4 or 5 glasses of the same water. When showering, especially in hot water, the pores of your skin open up and begin absorb chlorine. And most soaps, shampoo or conditioners are not developed to neutralize chlorine.
Chlorine can almost instantly take away the moisture in your skin, as it can react with natural essential oils in your skin, leaving it dry flaky and prone to wrinkling. Some sensitive skin types are also allergic to Chlorine, especially if exposed to cuts or bruises on the skin surface leading to itchy skin rashes.
Health Hazards of Chlorine
Besides damage to your skin and hair, Chlorine can cause health hazards when inhaled. Inhaling chlorinated fumes from heated water exposes you to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Disinfection By-Products (DBPs).
The fact is dermal absorption contributes to more chlorine entering your body than drinking 4 or 5 glasses of the same water. When showering, especially in hot water, the pores of your skin open up and begin absorb chlorine. And most soaps, shampoo or conditioners are not developed to neutralize chlorine.
Chlorine can almost instantly take away the moisture in your skin, as it can react with natural essential oils in your skin, leaving it dry flaky and prone to wrinkling. Some sensitive skin types are also allergic to Chlorine, especially if exposed to cuts or bruises on the skin surface leading to itchy skin rashes.
Health Hazards of Chlorine
Besides damage to your skin and hair, Chlorine can cause health hazards when inhaled. Inhaling chlorinated fumes from heated water exposes you to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Disinfection By-Products (DBPs).
These compounds can be extremely harmful to your lungs. Chlorine-born fumes are especially troublesome for asthmatics, and can cause respiratory and sinus problems even for people with a healthy respiratory system.
Chlorine makes your skin and hair dry, and exposure to VOCs and DBPs can cause permanent respiratory problems
Chlorine makes your skin and hair dry, and exposure to VOCs and DBPs can cause permanent respiratory problems
as well. It has also been found that using chlorine to rid of organic contaminants in water can lead to the formation of
Organo-Chlorides, Trihalomethanes, Chloroform and a few other harmful compounds, some of which are suspected carcinogens.
To summarize, Chlorine exposure through your shower is known to cause
To summarize, Chlorine exposure through your shower is known to cause
- Dry-skin, skin allergies and rashes
- Hair thinning, hair breakage, discolouration etc. leading to eventual hair-loss
- Respiratory ailments, ashtma, sinisitis etc.
- Increased chances of cancer from exposure to carcinogenic compounds from VOC/DBP fumes
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that Chlorine can cause cancer, damage
to the immune system, damage to the reproductive system and hormonal damage apart from its effects on your skin and hair; and has brought in restrictions and issued regulations, since 1997. In India, however use of Chlorine continues to be an un-regulated activity in most cities.
Therefore the need for ensuring protection to you and your family from Chlorine is all the more important. (Need a better sentence).
WaterScience RainCloud not only reduces up to 90% of chlorine, it also takes away suspended and dissolved impurities, bad odour and other harmful heavy metal ions including Lead, Cadmium and Arsenic.
An easy, affordable way to ensure happy, healthy, chlorine-free showers!
Therefore the need for ensuring protection to you and your family from Chlorine is all the more important. (Need a better sentence).
WaterScience RainCloud not only reduces up to 90% of chlorine, it also takes away suspended and dissolved impurities, bad odour and other harmful heavy metal ions including Lead, Cadmium and Arsenic.
An easy, affordable way to ensure happy, healthy, chlorine-free showers!
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