David Sedlack Book Review

Chapter six discusses the 1960’s, where people sought to make the world a better place. The Environmental Protection Agency was formed, who hired a scientist, Robert Harris. He proved that drinking river water caused a high chance of cancer. So, the government passed a law to monitor manmade chemicals in drinking water. Scientists found high level of chloroform in water, which led them to Dutch chemist Johannes Rook. Rook researched using a new device “Electron Capture Detector” and his research was taken ahead, which found the effect of chlorofluorocarbons on the ozone layer. Using rook’s concepts, they identified chlorine as the cause of cancer in water, and found that chloroform production was linked to chlorine reacting with compounds released by decaying plants. Along with chlorine, bromine concentrations were also found in the water. To overcome the issue, National Academy reported that Chlorine and Bromine levels cannot exceed 100µg/L in drinking water. The use of chlorine in drinking water prevents recontamination by microbial pathogens, and it limits the colonization of the insides of the underground pipes by microbes. In cases where chlorine exceeded standards, the chlorine level was reduced and filtration processes were used to remove the decayed substances.