Is chlorine in tap water safe to drink every day?
Not a major concern at treated levels, but chlorination byproducts (trihalomethanes) at high levels have been linked to bladder cancer risk.
What's actually in it
Chlorine and chloramine are added to municipal water supplies to kill pathogens. They are effective at preventing waterborne disease and are generally safe at treatment levels.
The concern is with disinfection byproducts (DBPs): chemicals formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water. Trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) are the main DBPs. Long-term high exposure to some DBPs has been associated with bladder cancer in occupational studies.
What the research says
A 2026 study in toxicology found that online Mitochondrial toxicity of emerging disinfection byproduct 2,6-dichloro-1,4- benzoquinone in renal proximal tubule cells: Oxidative phosphorylation impairment and metabolic reprogramming..
The research at a glance
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