Here's how it starts:


DNA is oxidised by Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS).

The main ROS is hypochlorous acid. This is the human immune system's last defense against infection. It is called "harmful to host." It acts by compromising the cell wall of bacteria such that they "drown" - but it also does the same thing to healthy cells.

When hypochlorous acid enters a cell it can oxidise that cell's DNA. This creates an "electron hole" in the DNA which "migrates" until it reaches a guanine component. The electron hole at a guanine then allows the addition of a carcinogen - which can go on to become a cancer.

Hypochlorous acid is added to water supplies as a disinfectant (chlorine is not the disinfectant but a convenient way of producing the hypochlorous acid).

Whenever hypochlorous acid is added to a water supply the incidence of cancer doubles within 12 months.

The cancer epidemic comprises just one class of cancers called "carinomas" which are cancers of the lining (epithelial) tissues of the lung, stomach, rectum, etc. and are caused by the oxidation of DNA.


And about that doubling......

When lime is added to chlorinated water to counteract the acidity caused by chlorination, it doubles the rate of cancer for every 0.3 shift in pH above 7.0, e.g. a shift from 7.0 to 7.3 will double the incidence of cancer.

Where metal water pipes are used in the reticulation system, the rate of cancer also increases in proportion to the percentage of conductive pipe.


So, why chlorinate?

Chlorine is added to water as a residual disinfectant. A safe water supply requires two barriers to infection. The first is a clean water supply. The second is to control contamination within the reticulation system, hence the use of residual chlorine.

The alternative to chlorination is point of use (POU) or point of entry (POE) filtration. This still requires a reliable clean water source and the filtration is the second or final barrier.

Filtration to 1 micron absolute captures all bacteria that residual chlorine would kill and also catches chlorine resistant bugs such as giardia and cryptosporidium. Its a no brainer.