For more than four decades, scientists have noticed a mysterious chemical in the treated drinking water of millions of people in the Unit

Solving a 40-year mystery, scientists ID chemical found in millions of Americans’ tap water

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2024-11-21 22:00:21

For more than four decades, scientists have noticed a mysterious chemical in the treated drinking water of millions of people in the United States, but no one’s been able to pinpoint exactly what it is – until now.

The authors of a study published Thursday in the journal Science believe the chemical – which they named chloronitramide anion – is a decomposition byproduct of chloramine, a chemical that many treatment plants use to make water safe to drink. About 113 million people drink tap water that exposes them to chloronitramide anion, the study says.

It’s not clear whether the byproduct could be harmful to human health, but the study authors say its properties are similar to those of other molecules that are toxic enough for the government to regulate them.

And there is some precedent, the researchers say, for chemicals that are used to purify drinking water creating byproducts that the US Environmental Protection Agency must regulate because they are likely carcinogens.