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When was the last time you thought about this?  If the answer is never or it has been awhile, you may be endangering yourself and, most importantly, your family.  So you need to inform yourself on the topic.

If you’re wondering is tap water safe for bathing and showering, you’re not alone. Scientists have looked at the question and revisited it. There are specific health problems that are associated with it and many that are aggravated by it. Here’s what you need to know about taking a bath in chlorinated water.

Thousands of other chemicals are found in publicly treated water-supplies, due to industrial spills, farm run-off and other sources. Treatment facilities do what they can to reduce those contaminants, but after all is said and done they add the one with the most potential to do harm after other purification processes are done.

Chlorine is added by the majority of treatment facilities throughout the world to kill pathogens (bacteria, viruses, etc) and to control algae-growth in the pipelines. Chlorine is toxic to the nervous system, but it does an effective job at killing bacteria and clearing cloudiness. When boiling is not possible, adding unscented household chlorine bleach is recommended for emergency situations, in which drinking water has been contaminated.

Many years ago, scientists wondered is tap water safe for bathing and showering. At that time, they said that at levels present in publicly treated supplies, chlorine exposure during the shower is only hazardous to people that are allergic to it. Chlorine filters for the showerhead were originally developed for people that have chlorine allergies.

As time went by, hairdressers began to recommend them for their clients with dry hair and particularly for models. If models did not have a showerhead filter, they were told to wash their hair in bottled spring-water, before an important shoot.

Eventually, dermatologists wondered is tap water safe for bathing and showering, especially for their patients that had dry skin, eczema or psoriasis. It is a harsh chemical and people with skin conditions are particularly sensitive to it. Now, many dermatologists recommend a showerhead filter for all of their patients.

Finally, scientists revisited the question, because the original studies were not conducted using hot water. If you’re wondering is tap water safe for bathing and showering for anyone, the answer is no. When the water is heated, cancer-causing chemicals are released and we inhale them. They are absorbed through your skin and enter the bloodstream by two separate routes. They are known as THMs and they are actually byproducts of chlorine. Scientists originally believed that the only risk of exposure was from drinking, but now, they know better.

The increased incidence of cancer among people with chlorinated water was originally thought to be due to chlorine, itself. When, in fact, it is actually the byproducts produced when chlorine interacts with bacteria that are the problems. THM exposure greatly increases a person’s risk of developing cancer at some point in his or her life.

Most showerhead filters on the market remove chlorine, but do nothing to reduce THM content. Read the performance data carefully, before you buy a product. It’s the only way to be sure that you are actually protected.

Your goal?  To start utilizing this information your have just learned.  If you buy an effective product, you will not have to wonder is tap water safe for bathing and showering. You’ll know that you and your family are protected and safe.