Irish households exposed to cancer-causing chemicals

Nearly 600,000 people in Ireland have been exposed to cancer-causing chemicals which are a by-product of the chlorine that is added to ensure good drinking water quality.

Water that contains brown organic matter is treated with the substance in order to make it safe for people to consume.

However, this can create trihalomethanes (THMs), which are known to cause the deadly disease.

Data compiled by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has been received by Friends of the Irish Environment and it has shown that almost 600,000 people in the country are receiving drinking water that contains excessive levels of THMs.

Now, the environmental group has insisted that the EPA informs the population when their water supply has more THMs than the World Health Organisation recommends is safe.

This comes shortly after the World Wildlife Fund predicted that many urban areas around the globe could face problems with fresh water and sanitation provisions by 2050 unless action is taken soon.

Posted by Lauren Steadman