Byproducts created in the process of disinfecting water have been found to cause a range of adverse health effects.
More than 600 disinfection byproducts (DBPs) have been discovered and although researchers know that some DBPs are toxic, little biological information about the majority of the contaminants was available. Until now.
New research has investigated the biological mechanism that leads to toxicity in the second most-prevalent DBP class - the haloacetic acids.
Water decontamination was one of the most significant public health achievements of the 20th century. But to increase the health benefits of disinfected water, the most harmful DBPs must be eliminated.
Read more at University of Illinois