Firms warned on chlorine risk in water

Water companies have been urged to reduce levels of chlorine used to disinfect supplies over fears it may be linked to birth defects and miscarriage.

Chlorine is widely used to kill bugs in recycled tap water and the suggestion that its by-products may harm the baby developing in the womb could be devastating for the industry.

The warning was issued by the Committee on Toxicity, which is made up of doctors and academics who met to discuss research by experts at Imperial College, London.

The research team compared chlorine by-product levels in three water company areas with NHS records on miscarriage and birth defects, such as low birth weights.

Professor Ieuan Hughes, chairman of the Committee on Toxicity, said: "The information suggests there might be a small risk of an association between birth outcome problems and chlorination by-products in water." But Professor Hughes also admitted the apparent link could be clouded by other factors, reported the Daily Mail.

Water UK, which represents the industry, said while chlorine is used as a disinfectant by all water companies - who account for more than 98 per cent of what is drunk in the UK - any risk is very minor.

However, while some members of the Committee on Toxicity said no safe conclusions could be drawn, others were more convinced of a link.

One said: "If anything, these results add to the feeling there might be a relationship. If we want to bet, we would have to say there is more likely to be a relationship than before we saw these results."

Professor Hughes said water companies should take precautions even though the results were inconclusive.