CHANGES IN WATER PROCESS ON TAP AGENCY, EPA AIM TO CURB CARCINOGENS.Byline: Daily News SANTA CLARITA - The Castaic Lake Water Agency will change the way it disinfects Santa Clarita's drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. to guard better against a suspected carcinogen carcinogen: see cancer. carcinogen Agent that can cause cancer. Exposure to one or more carcinogens, including certain chemicals, radiation, and certain viruses, can initiate cancer under conditions not completely understood. that forms when plant life or other organic material gets into pipes. Water imported from Northern California and distributed to local water suppliers will be cleaned with chloramines - a combination of chlorine and ammonia - instead of the traditional chlorine purifier. The change, to take place in the spring, is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and to eliminate bacteria, viruses and germs in drinking water supplies. Chloramines create fewer byproducts than chlorine. There is, however, a risk to kidney patients who use dialysis machines. Chloramines must be removed from water before use in any dialysis treatment process. Also, both chloramines and chlorine can be toxic to fish and amphibians amphibians members of the animal class Amphibia. Includes frogs, toads, newts, salamanders and cecilians all capable of living on land or in water. and must be removed from water in aquariums and fish ponds. Chemicals are available to neutralize chloramines and are available at pet stores. The conversion to chloramines for disinfection disinfection, n the process of destroying pathogenic organisms or rendering them inert. disinfection, full oral cavity, n a procedure used to reduce active periodontal disease, usually completed within a certain short time frame. is necessary to cut levels of trihalomethanes, suspected carcinogens Carcinogens Substances in the environment that cause cancer, presumably by inducing mutations, with prolonged exposure. Mentioned in: Colon Cancer, Rectal Cancer formed when chlorine mixes with natural organic substances in water. After the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, residents were advised for several days to avoid tap water because organic material had mixed with water at points where pipelines had cracked, contaminating the supply. Several water agencies statewide already have made the conversion. The Castaic agency plans an education campaign before the change takes place. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion