Filtering chlorine from water
Health risks from chlorine in drinking water?
To this day, the addition of chlorine is the most common means of disinfecting Tapwater , alongside the use of ozone and irradiation with UV light. In Germany, the Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV) and other regulations set strict standards for the use of halogens.
Only 0.3 milligrams of chlorine may be contained in one liter of water. Most people consider this to be harmless. Nevertheless, studies point to possible health risks, especially in regions where water is regularly chlorinated.
Filtering chlorine from water
Health risks from chlorine in drinking water?
To this day, the addition of chlorine is the most common means of disinfecting Tapwater , alongside the use of ozone and irradiation with UV light. In Germany, the Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV) and other regulations set strict standards for the use of halogens.
Only 0.3 milligrams of chlorine may be contained in one liter of water. Most people consider this to be harmless. Nevertheless, studies point to possible health risks, especially in regions where water is regularly chlorinated.
Options for filtering chlorine
Despite the strict regulations in Germany, it can make sense to filter chlorine. One of the reasons for such a measure is to protect against dangerous by-products that can arise during water disinfection, such as trichloromethanes. These are suspected to be carcinogenic. Chemical compounds such as these can also enter Tapwater through industrial wastewater. Protective measures should be taken, especially for pregnant women, young children and people with pre-existing medical conditions. Water filters can provide a reliable remedy here. A positive side effect of filtering is that it improves the taste and smell of the water.
Options for filtering chlorine
Despite the strict regulations in Germany, it can make sense to filter chlorine. One of the reasons for such a measure is to protect against dangerous by-products that can arise during water disinfection, such as trichloromethanes. These are suspected of being carcinogenic. Chemical compounds such as these can also enter Tapwater through industrial wastewater.
Protective measures should be taken, especially for pregnant women, young children and people with pre-existing conditions. Water filters can provide a reliable remedy here. A positive side effect of filtering is that the taste and smell of the water is improved.
Which water filter should I use against chlorine?
In principle, activated carbon block filters as well as ion exchangers and filters that work with reverse osmosis are suitable for filtering chlorine out of the water. The following questions therefore play a major role in the selection process:
- How should the water filter be used?
- Where should the water filter be used?
- What are the advantages of each selection?
- What disadvantages do you have to accept with the respective selection?
- What demands are made on the performance of the water filter?
The issue of chlorine in water can play a particularly important role when traveling, especially in places where higher limits apply and there is a lot of chlorine in Tapwater . In southern European countries in particular, the water is heavily chlorinated due to outdated pipes. This not only has a bad taste, but can also cause nausea and headaches. It is therefore definitely worth having a drinking water filter in your motorhome to avoid having to constantly buy bottles of water.
A water filter also makes sense in the kitchen, where the Tapwater is used for drinking and cooking. A powerful water filter is particularly valuable here because it also removes other pollutants from the drinking water.
Studies have shown that showers can also pose a problem in connection with chlorine, especially in places where there is a higher concentration of chlorine in the water. Inhaling chlorine products while showering can be harmful to health. Activated carbon filters for showers provide a suitable remedy here.
In certain cases, a domestic water inlet filter will also be considered, although this wastes filter capacity for service water in the toilet. In addition, it must be strictly observed that there must be no sources of danger for germs such as stagnant water in the domestic drinking water installation.
High-quality activated charcoal filters combine most of the advantages
In a comparison of all methods, water filters with activated carbon are the most convincing. Filters that use the reverse osmosis process tend to remove not only hazardous substances but also important minerals from the water. Ion exchangers are more expensive and require comparatively high maintenance.
In activated carbon filters, the fine-pored surface removes the chlorine and chlorine compounds from the water through a catalytic effect. Certain filters even achieve an efficiency of 99 percent. While pollutants are removed, the activated carbon filter leaves important minerals in the drinking water, which is a decisive advantage for the quality of the water.
The easy handling of activated carbon filters such as the drinking water filters from Alb Filter also speaks in favor of this choice. Activated carbon filters from Alb Filter are easy to install in the kitchen and do not take up much space. Maintenance and installation costs are negligible.
In order to maintain the filter's perfect efficiency, you should only ensure that the filter cartridges are changed regularly.
High-quality activated charcoal filters combine most of the advantages
In a comparison of all methods, water filters with activated carbon are the most convincing. Filters that use the reverse osmosis process tend to remove not only hazardous substances but also important minerals from the water. Ion exchangers are more expensive and require comparatively high maintenance.
In activated carbon filters, the fine-pored surface removes the chlorine and chlorine compounds from the water through a catalytic effect. Certain filters even achieve an efficiency of 99 percent. While pollutants are removed, the activated carbon filter leaves important minerals in the drinking water, which is a decisive advantage for the quality of the water.
The easy handling of activated carbon filters such as the drinking water filters from Alb Filter also speaks in favor of this choice. Activated carbon filters from Alb Filter are easy to install in the kitchen and do not take up much space. Maintenance and installation costs are negligible.
In order to maintain the filter's perfect efficiency, you should only ensure that the filter cartridges are changed regularly.
Remove chlorine and maintain hygiene safety at the same time
Activated carbon filters also provide hygiene protection. In many cases, a water filter is expected to provide special protection against germs such as legionella in addition to the reliable removal of harmful chemicals such as chlorine. A filter with ultrafiltration meets the necessary safety standards here, such as those offered by the certified Alb Filter Nano. It protects particularly vulnerable people from pathogenic microorganisms as well as from chlorine, chlorine compounds and other chemicals. Such a water filter with ultra-filtration down to 0.1 µm is also suitable for showers.
Related articles and products
Chlorine
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Alb Filter Duo Active
Activated carbon combines the advantages to effectively combat chlorine. We recommend our Active (Plus+) cartridge in combination with the Alb Filter Duo housing for connection to the tap.
References
- https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/wasser/trinkwasser/rechtliche-grundlagen-empfehlungen-regelwerk/aufbereitungsstoffe-desinfektionsverfahren-ss-11
- https://www.dvgw.de/themen/wasser/wasserqualitaet/desinfektion/
- https://www.sueddeutsche.de/gesundheit/chlor-im-trinkwasser-mit-chemie-gegen-den-dreck-1.1121889-0
- https://www.oekorecherche.de/de/chlor-macht-krank
- http://www.canadianwaterfilter.com/chlorine_dangerous.htm