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Chlorine: Health Hazards

Asked by Gregory StaffordConservativeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 8 July 2026UIN 14681

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research his Department has commissioned or reviewed since 2000 into potential health effects associated with long-term domestic exposure to chlorinated mains water through bathing, showering and other household hygiene uses.

Answered by Emma Hardy

Chlorine has a long history of about 100 years of safe use for hygiene purposes worldwide. It is the most widely used disinfectant in the home. It is also a disinfectant used by the water industry to maintain hygienic conditions within the public water supply network of pipes.

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