[Dioxin-l] Re: Poor efficacy of residual chlorine in drinking water distribution systems

[superjicb]

Pat,

You wrote:
> Perhaps I misunderstand, but are you saying that Greenpeace and
> other public interest groups should ignore valid scientific findings?
> If so, that would seem to preclude our being perceived as either
> credible or reasonable, don't you agree?

I totally agree.  I am not familiar with the findings that you referred to
and their validity, but that does not mean that I doubt them.  My point was
that from what I've seen, a lot of the chlorine debate and a lot of the
surrounding politics focussed on dueling perceptions more than science.  And
one of the two areas that is used the most to make environmental groups look
the worst regarding chlorine issues, is water chlorination. It is easy for
people on the other side of the issue who want to continue selling chlorine
to promote the general impression that chlorine saves people from dying of
cholera and that environmental advocates, if they could, would let people
die rather than use chlorine.  Similar logic was used by a poster last week
when he said the WHO preferred DDT to malaria.  Preferring chloirne to
cholera is pretty much the same logic.  I live in the Dallas area where lots
of water chloirnation has been replaced by ozone, but not for residual
treatment.  If we now know that chloirnation is not needed for residual
treatment, then great.

> The fundamental issue is not whether or not we want chlorine to be
> used for residual water treatment.  It is that we want drinking
> water that is free of pathogens and toxic chemical
> contaminants.   I trust that you will agree that this is an entirely
> reasonable need, not a fanatical desire.  The Canadian study
> demonstrates that residual chlorine does not achieve pathogen-
> free water and, based on numerous other studies, the treatment of
> water with chlorine generates toxic chemical contaminants.

Yes great.  Certainly chlorine is a deadly toxic. If today there are
alternatives to chlorine here, or if there is research showing chlorine does
not do the job in pathogen removal, then drinking water free of toxics is
the way to frame the issue so that it can not be used against you.  I'm not
familiar with these studies.  Would you please send me the site reference
again.

Connie Hansson