Chloramination is the treatment of drinking water with a chloramine disinfectant. Water of sufficient quality to serve as drinking water is termed potable water whether it is used for drinking or not Chloramine (monochloramine is a Chemical compound with the formula NH2Cl Disinfectants are Antimicrobial agents that are applied to non-living objects to destroy Microorganisms, the process of which is known as disinfection. Both chlorine and small amounts of ammonia are added to the water one at a time which react together to form chloramine (also called combined chlorine), a long lasting disinfectant. Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Ammonia is a compound with the formula N[[hydrogen H3]] It is normally encountered as a Gas with a characteristic pungent Odor Disinfectants are Antimicrobial agents that are applied to non-living objects to destroy Microorganisms, the process of which is known as disinfection. Chloramine disinfection is sometimes used in large distribution systems.
Use
The maintenance of what is called a “residual” of disinfectant that stays in the water distribution system while it is delivered to people's homes is required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA regulations give two choices for disinfectant residual — chlorine or chloramine. Many major water agencies are changing to chloramine to better meet current and anticipated federal drinking water regulations and to protect the public health. Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society organisations
Chlorine v. Chloramine
There are many similarities between chlorine and chloramine. Both provide effective residual disinfection with minimal risk to public health. Both are toxic to fish and reptiles. Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Both chlorine and chloramine react with other compounds in the water to form what are called “disinfection byproducts”.
The difference is that chlorine forms many byproducts, including trihalomethanes (THM), haloacetic acids (HAA), and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), whereas chloramine forms a significantly lower amount of THMs and HAAs, even though it may still form small amounts of NDMA. Trihalomethanes ( THM s are Chemical compounds in which three of the four hydrogen atoms of Methane (CH4 are replaced by Halogen atoms Haloacetic acids are Carboxylic acids in which a Halogen atom takes the place of a Hydrogen atom in Acetic acid. N -Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA, also known as dimethylnitrosamine (DMN, is a semi- Volatile organic chemical that is highly toxic One of the principal benefits of chloramine is that its use reduces the overall levels of these regulated contaminants compared to chlorine.
Adverse Effects
Chloramine is toxic to fish and reptiles (chloramine, like chlorine, comes in direct contact with their bloodstream through their gills) and must be removed from water added to aquariums and fish ponds. A gill is an anatomical structure found in many aquatic organisms It must also be removed from water prior to use in dialysis machines, since water comes into direct contact with the bloodstream during treatment. In Medicine, dialysis (from Greek "dialusis" meaning dissolution "dia" meaning through and "lusis" meaning loosening is primarily When drinking water, people have no trouble digesting chlorine or chloramine at the levels found in our drinking water; this water is not introduced directly into the bloodstream.
Much of the discussion about chloramine has focused on NDMA, and it is critical to distinguish between chloramine and NDMA. NDMA can be a byproduct of chloramination or chlorination, but drinking water is not a major source of exposure to NDMA. The biggest sources of human exposure to NDMA are tobacco smoke, chewing tobacco, bacon and other cured meats, beer, fish, cheese, toiletries, shampoos, cleansers, interior air of cars, and household pesticides. Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Bacon is a cut of Meat taken from the sides belly or back of a Pig that has been cured, smoked, or both Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Cheese is a Food made from Milk, usually the milk of cows, Buffalo, Goats or sheep, by coagulation. Shampoo is a Hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt skin particles Dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. In addition, NDMA can form in the stomach during digestion of foods or drugs that contain alkylamines, which are naturally occurring compounds.
At very high levels--100,000 times greater than even the highest levels seen in a recent survey of chlorinated and chloraminated drinking waters--NDMA may cause serious human health problems, such as liver disease. Such effects are seen at concentrations ranging from 5 to 50 parts per million in water; for comparison a study conducted by the California Department of Health Services in 1999 and 2000 found the highest level of NDMA in drinking water that had been treated with chloramine was 0. 00006 parts per million. In that study, most of the concentrations of NDMA were far lower than that, and many water samples in the California Department of Health Services study, including those from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission water system taken in 2000, did not have any detectable concentrations of NDMA.