Potentially toxic compound discovered in chloraminated water

A Swiss-American research team has identified a potentially toxic compound in US drinking water systems. This is a degradation product of a chemical that is used in some countries to disinfect drinking water. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Such inorganic chloramines are used to protect public health against diseases such as cholera and typhoid. According to estimates, more than 113 million people in the US alone drink chloraminated water, federal technology institute ETH Zurich said in a statement. The researchers have identified the chloronitramide anion as the end product of the decomposition of inorganic chloramine. It is currently unknown whether and how toxic the chloronitramide anion is. However, its prevalence and similarity to other toxic compounds gave the researchers cause for concern. Further studies are now needed to assess the risk to public health. + How clean is Swiss groundwater? The study, published in the journal Science, focused on ...