A recent study found that the chlorination levels in the U.S. and EU drinking water might increase the risk of different cancers. Experts use chlorine as part of the water treatment process to eliminate any infectious diseases or other harmful organisms in our drinking water. However, according to the research, using chlorine to disinfect water leads to the production of trihalomethane (THM) byproducts, which can cause a variety of health issues, including cancer and reproductive problems. In fact, it increases the risk of bladder cancer by 33 percent and colorectal cancer by 15 percent.“Trihalomethanes are cancer-causing contaminants that form during water treatment with chlorine and other disinfectants,” the Environmental Working Group (EWG) states on its website. “Studies conducted in the U.S. and Europe have found that drinking tap water that carries disinfection byproducts increases the risk of developing bladder cancer,” EWG continued. “Some human epidemiological studies also reported an association between disinfection byproducts and an increased risk of problems during pregnancy, including spontaneous miscarriage, cardiovascular defects, neural tube defects, and low birth weight.”Our Drinking Water Might Increase Cancer Risk By Up to 33 PercentWhat’s more?As the new study stated, “According to the World Cancer Research Fund criteria, we found limited-suggestive evidence that THM in drinking water increases the risk of bladder and colorectal cancer at levels below current regulatory limits in the US and EU, indicating that these fail to protect against cancer in the general population.”So, though THMs are a natural byproduct of water treatment, and though both the U.S. and EU have their own established drinking water safety standards (with limits on byproducts at 80 parts per billion (ppb) and 100ppb, respectively), this new study suggests those levels of THM are quite harmful. In fact, increased cancer risks occurred at levels as low as 40ppb, The Guardian reported.“What we see is alarming and we need some more high-quality studies,” said Emilie Helte, a lead author with Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.The post Your Drinking Water Might Be Increasing Your Cancer Risk appeared first on VICE.