ScienceWantsYouto StopandSmelltheRoses
Understanding Chlorinated Water
TheBenefitsofSpendingTimeOutside
WHAT IT DOES AND HOW IT IMPACTS YOU
In a 2008 survey conducted by the National Trust in Britain, children were more likely to correctly identify a Dalek from “Doctor
In just about every community, chlorine is added to drinking water. The idea behind this makes sense. Chlorine kills bacteria and other pathogens in the water, making it safer to consume. Of course, being a harsh chemical itself, many people question if it’s truly safe. It is an effective disinfectant, and it’s the most common form of water treatment in the world. In drinking water, chlorine is both ingested and absorbed through the skin through bathing. Is this enough for the chemical to harm you? And is absorbing chlorine through the skin more dangerous than ingesting it through drinking water? People can spend a fairly lengthy time in the shower or bath and even longer in a chlorinated swimming pool. This gives the body ample time to absorb chemicals in the water, and there is a concern chlorine may impact the development of organs and other tissue in children. For most people, extended exposure to chlorinated water results in various negative health effects, usually starting with skin and eye irritation. But it can progress to throat and lung irritation, as well as coughing. Higher concentrations of chlorine can damage cells in the body. According to HealthLinkBC, drinking water should be treated with chlorine and have a detectable amount of chlorine present. Health Canada states there should be no more than 2 milligrams per litre in their tap water, and concentrations of up to 50 milligrams per litre are considered safe for short periods of time. But they also recognize chlorine as toxic. If you’re concerned about chlorine in your water, what can you do? You can start by checking chlorine levels in your home’s water. There are water test kits available online and in many retailers. If you feel chlorine levels are too high, you can take steps to dechlorinate your water.
Who” than a barn owl. Likewise, a 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation study of 8–18-year-olds in the U.S. found that the average youth spends more than 53 hours a week engaged with entertainment media. These statistics, coupled with growing concerns that children are spending less time outdoors, are leading to terms like “nature deficit disorder” and global initiatives to get
kids outside.
Why is contact with the outdoors so important? Researchers are answering this question by studying the benefits of time spent in nature. One benefit is that outdoor time helps kids understand boundaries and learn how to assess risk. As naturalist, author, and broadcaster Stephen Moss puts it, “Falling out of a tree is a very good lesson in risk-reward.” Not to mention, time in nature may help improve focus for hyperactive kids. In one national study of youths by the University of Illinois, participants’ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms were reduced after spending time in a green setting versus a more urban one. This may be due to the fact that natural environments call upon our “soft fascination,” a less exhausting type of focus than what is required by urban environments. Emotional benefits were discovered too, including reduced aggression, increased happiness, and improved self-esteem. Beyond just getting outside, the type of contact we have with nature also matters. Visits to nature centres and watching “Planet Earth” are two ways to experience the outdoors. But research points specifically to the importance of free play in the natural world: unstructured outdoor time when children can explore and engage with their natural surroundings with no curriculum, lesson, or activity to complete. Ever notice how kids are fascinated by the simplest things? A child visits a rose garden, but before they even get to the flowers, they become captivated by a leaf on the ground or an ant crawling on their shoe. Children are born naturalists. These are the moments we need to recapture. Take a page out of that kid’s book, and as the saying goes, stop and smell the roses — or leaves or ants — with no checklist and no plan, just time spent playing outside.
One of the easiest ways, though with a higher upfront cost, is through chlorine filters. You can install a filtration system to filter all water coming into your home. Alternatively, tap filters are available. These filters simply attach to faucets and showerheads. For drinking water, chlorine filters are available in pitchers.
2 • www.lewismaclean.com
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