How to Remove Chlorine from Drinking Water?

Have you ever noticed your drinking water smells like bleach sometimes? Chlorine gets added to the drinking water that adds bleach odor to the water.

In most countries in the world, you can’t find drinking water chlorine less. According to WHO guidelines in Drinking Water Quality Standards, up to 4 mg per liter of chlorine levels in the drinking water is safe. Chlorine level above this limit is too dangerous for human health.

But if it is a harmful chemical for us, why is it added to the drinking water? And how can one remove Chlorine from the water? It would be best if you read this article to find out the answers to your questions.

 

What is Chlorine, and Why is it mixed to Drinking Water?

You must have studied Chlorine in school! Chlorine is an element that naturally is a green gas. You can easily change its appearance to fit your various needs, such as food preservation and pesticides.

Naturally, Chlorine is a very innocent chemical; however, outcomes are harmful. For instance, after swimming, some people get red eyes and itching.

Chlorine gets added to drinking water as they kill disease-causing parasites, bacteria, and other microorganisms. There are other methods to clean the water from sediments particles; however, removing pathogens from water becomes an impossible task.

Here comes the job of Chlorine! Chlorine also helps disinfect the water from the bacteria in the pipes through which they flow to home taps.

 

Health Risks Associated with Chlorine

Keeping aside the benefits, excess use of Chlorine is highly harmful to human health. Let’s see the risks associated with chlorinated drinking water.

• Difficulty in Breathing:Too much consumption of chlorine water can cause cough, chest tightening, and difficulty in breathing. It can also trigger asthma symptoms in some people.
• Birth Abnormalities:If you are a pregnant woman, then never drink chlorine water. It can affect the child’s health in the womb. In some cases, childborn with abnormalities such as heart holes, weak brain, and cleft palates.
• Increased Cancer Risk: According to National Trends of Bladder Cancer and Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water: A Review and Multicountry Ecological Study, chlorinated water has THM by-products that cause bladder cancer. However, there is a need for more research to prove this point.
• Skin Problems:Skin problems are the most common side effect of chlorinated water, such as itching, redness, and small patches, especially to dry and hypersensitive skin.

 

6 Ways to Remove Chlorine from Water

Water is essential for human beings. No one in this world can live without it. But the presence of Chlorine in drinking water becomes harmful for pregnant women and allergic people.

Somehow removing Chlorine from the water is dangerous than drinking chlorinated water. However, if you remove Chlorine before drinking, then it is harmless. So, here’re the methods to remove Chlorine from drinking water.

 

Using Water Distillers

If you can spend some money removing Chlorine from the drinking water, we suggest getting a water distiller. Water distiller can remove 97% of Chlorine; however, if you add some carbon filters, it can remove 99% of Chlorine.

Apart from Chlorine, it can also extract many other pollutants present in water in different forms.

 

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse Osmosis is the most effective way to remove Chlorine from the water. Nowadays, almost everyone uses R.O. in their homes for clean drinking water. This method is usually placed below the sink in the kitchen.

Apart from R.O., a water filter system is also standard in households. It also helps infiltration and removing Chlorine from the drinking water making water safe and healthy.

 

UV Light

Ultra Violet Light helps in removing Chlorine from the drinking water. U.V. technology basically uses 200-400 nm wavelengths that produce chemical reactions to remove 15 ppm of Chlorine. Generally, the U.V. light gets placed at the end of the water filter system.

You can also use a U.V. bulb in front of the water to make it free from Chlorine. But some people say that U.V. light is not effective in removing chemicals from water.

Technically, instead of removing toxins it breaks them, and purify the impurities instead of removing them.

 

Evaporation

Evaporation is the easiest way to remove Chlorine in the drinking water. You can leave it overnight at room temperature as room temperature enhances the evaporation process.

The problem with the evaporation method is that it is time-consuming, and you need to remember every time to prepare water for evaporating.

Boiling is also another way to remove harmful chemicals, including Chlorine. But make sure to boil the water for at least 20 minutes. After cooking, keep the water in a clean container.

 

Chemical Neutralization

Chemical Neutralization means adding more chemicals to remove other harmful substances such as Chlorine. Such chemicals are usually available in tablets that get added to the drinking water.

An example is Potassium Metabisulfite which helps in eradicating Chlorine from the water. A single tablet of Potassium clarifies 20 gallons of water from Chlorine.

After all, an iron melts another iron! Similarly, a chemical removes another chemical! It is cost-effective plus takes significantly less time in purifying the water.

 

Carbon Filters

Carbon filters are another efficient method in removing Chlorine from drinking water.

Chlorine molecules are bigger than water molecules; therefore, Chlorine gets easily trapped in the filter system.

An activated carbon filter traps the Chlorine molecules and other harmful chemicals like lead, making the water free from chemicals.

 

Conclusion

Chlorine is a beneficial element if used wisely. Excessive and wrong use of Chlorine has the worst outcomes. For instance, in Second World War, Chlorine was used in making dangerous weapons.

Chlorine needs to disinfect the water; however, before drinking, you can remove the Chlorine from the water with the help of the above-giving methods. Also, always store the water in a clean container after removing Chlorine.