The American Chemical Society meeting in Anaheim, CA said in 1986. "People are exposed to more potentially harmful indoor pollutants in home, office or car than outdoors." A five-year study by the Environmental Protection Agency concurred. Studies by Dr. Julian Andelman, Professor of Water Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, found less chemical exposure from drinking chlorine contaminated water than using it to wash the clothes or take a shower.

SKIN PENETRATION

H.S. Brown, Ph.D.; D.R. Bishop, MPH, and C.A. Rowan, MSPH, report that: "Assessments of drinking water safety rely on the assumption that ingestion represents the principle route of exposure."

Skin penetration rates for solvents are remarkably high, and the stratum corneum is a less effective barrier to penetration than traditionally assumed. Based on published skin absorption rates, these 3 researchers used Fick's Law to determine permeability constants for selected compounds. Then they calculated dose per kilogram for 9 different exposure situations and compared this to the oral dose per kilogram. They found that skin absorption contributed from 29 to 91 percent of the total dose, averaging 64 percent.

Outside of occupational settings, little attention has been paid to skin absorption as a route of entry for volatile organic compounds. Since the mid-sixties, numerous investigators have explored the mechanism of epidermal barrier function in relation to solvents. Although a complex process, dermal uptake of compounds occurs mainly through passive diffusion, involving selective mechanisms in the various lipid & protein structures of the stratum corneum.

The researchers concluded that skin absorption of contaminants in municipal water has been underestimated and that ingestion may not constitute the sole or even primary route of exposure. In addition to penetration of contaminants through the skin to the body as a whole, the contaminants can adversely affect the skin itself.

Chlorine chemically bonds with proteins in the hair, skin and scalp. Hair can becomes rough and brittle and lose color. Skin can dry out with itchy, flaky scalp occurring. Chlorine can aggravate sensitive areas in the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.

INHALATION

Chloroform (a Trihalomethane or THM) and trichloroethylene (TCE) are two highly volatile toxic chemicals that have been identified in many municipal drinking-water supplies. The National Academy of Sciences has estimated that 200 to 1000 people may die in the U.S. each year (1986) from cancers caused by ingesting these contaminants in water.

However, the major threat caused by these water pollutants is far more likely to be as air pollutants in the home, according to a study by Dr. Julian Andelman. He found that in the shower when temperature and chemical concentrations increase and diameter of shower head hole decreases, volatilization increases. His data indicate that hot showers (109F) can liberate about 50% of the dissolved chloroform and 80% of the dissolved TCE into the air. Both the heat and the large surface-to-volume ratio of small droplets increase vaporization. Chlorine, TCE, chloroform, benzene and others are readily absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream.

CONTAMINANTS

The contaminants mentioned in this article are not necessarily in your tap water. However, if chlorine is present in the water it is most certain that other contaminants are also. Chlorine combines with organic substances forming Trihalomethanes including Chloroform. The most common volatile compounds in drinking water supplies as found by the EPA are as listed: trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, benzene,1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, ethylene chloride,1,1-dichloroethylene, bis-1,2-dichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, & trichlorobenzene.

• American Journal of Public Health, May 84
• Science News, Sep 86
• Pool & Spa News, Oct. 86

You can be free of chlorine and most chemicals in your shower or bath for over a year. 30,000 gallons of purified water. Consider water filtration.

Asthma and Chlorine

If it is, doctors say it could be because of one of many substances found in the workplaces that are linked to allergies and asthma. According to a panel of respiratory specialists who convened this week at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting in Orlando, Fl., as many as 5 percent of all adult asthma cases can be linked to workplaces allergens and irritants such as latex, mites, detergents, ammonia, chlorine, and a variety of substances used in the manufacture of plastics. "[These estimates] come from a number of different studies," said the college's president, Dr. Emil Bardana. "Some have estimated as high as 10 percent, some as low as 2 percent, and it depends on where you're doing the study, and what industry you're studying." Although experts may disagree about the prevalence of the problem, there is no doubt that substances in the workplace can cause serious illness. With more than 15 million Americans now suffering from asthma, Bardana estimates that hundreds of thousands could be experiencing work-related forms of the disease. Those workers at highest risk include people who are exposed to latex, such as health-care professionals, as well as people exposed to animals, such as veterinarians. In addition, industrial workers are often exposed to toxic and irritating chemicals, which can contribute to asthma. Workplace Causes and Prevention Doctors believe that there are two basic ways to get asthma in the workplace. The most common way to become asthmatic is through constant exposure to allergens, which are any substance your body is allergic to, such as latex. Symptoms of an allergic reaction are similar to hay fever, and include runny nose and watery eyes. The other, less common, way is to be exposed to an irritant such as chlorine, a condition that is more likely to clear itself up after exposure. Symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, wheezing, and cough. To prevent these respiratory problems, workers can simply avoid exposure to particular allergens and irritants. Doctors suggest educating workers and employers about the dangers of certain substances, as well as the benefits of using masks, gloves, and exhaust systems to remove allergens from the workplace. One way to tell if a symptom is work-related is to note whether or not it improves when you are away from work. If your sniffles and cough mysteriously get better at night and disappear over the weekends and vacation, that could be an indicator that your illness is work-related.

"I think anyone with asthma should at least stop and think:

Is there something about their school or workplace that's contributing to their asthma?" said Dr. Helen Hollingsworth, director of adult asthma and allergy services at Boston Medical Center. "Prevention is the key thing," said Bardana.