Chlorine Linked To Bladder Cancer
A new study published in the November 2006 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology has established a link between exposure to chlorinated water and an increased risk of bladder cancer. According to researchers, ingestion of, and bathing, showering, and swimming in chlorinated water can all lead to an increased incidence of cancer. However, chlorinated pools typically have much higher chlorine levels than found in the public water supply. Higher chlorine levels combined with the longer exposure times normally associated with swimming pools leads to an even greater increase in the risk.
-American Journal of Epidemiology
November 2006

Chlorine itself is not believed to be the problem. Scientists suspect that the actual cause of the bladder cancers is a group of chemicals that form as result of reactions between the chlorine and natural substances and pollutants in the water (organic matter such as algae, bacteria,leaves, etc.)
-St. Paul Dispatch & Pioneer Press
December 17, 1987

Although concentrations of these carcinogens are low... it is precisely these low levels which cancer scientists believe are responsible for the majority of human cancers in the United States.
-Report Issued By The Environmental Defense Fund

Trihalomethanes (THM's)
The study of the Municipal Institute of Medical Research in Barcelona, Spain, found that "long-term THM exposure was associated with a twofold increase of bladder cancer risk" in households with high levels (50 or more micrograms per liter) of Trihalomethanes. Trihalomethanes, or THM's, are chemical by-products of chlorination. Researchers discovered that these chemicals invade the human body through ingestion of water, by inhalation, and by dermal absorption. They also believe that THM which is absorbed or inhaled into the body is much more dangerous than ingestion because the chemical does not go through a detoxification process in the liver but, rather, is absorbed directly into the body. The results showed that drinking highly chlorinated water raised the cancer risk by 35 percent but that swimming in chlorinated pools raised the risk by 57 percent.

Chlorine Linked To Colon Cancer
The drinking of chlorinated water has finally been officially linked to an increased incidence of colon cancer. An epidemiologist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities completed a study of colon cancer victims and non-cancer patients and concluded that the drinking of chlorinated water for 15 years or more was conducive to a high rate of colon cancer.
-Health Freedom News
January/February 1987

The Case For Copper
Studies have shown that some people with arthritis seem to have difficulty metabolizing copper from the food they eat, leading to increased pain. That observation led Helmar Dollwet, Ph.D., of the University of Akron to theorize that arthritis sufferers may need to get their copper from another source. "The dissolved copper from [a copper] bracelet bypasses the oral route by entering the body through the the skin," he wrote in his book, The Copper Bracelet and Arthritis. Dr. Dollwet thought this might be the only way arthritics ever receive the copper their bodies need -- copper that studies have shown can indeed relieve pain.

The Costs Of Copper Deficiency
Although most people do not know the importance of copper intake in a daily diet, copper is one of the most essential nutrients needed in a body. Copper is of vital importance for many different reasons. Among these are its central roles in protecting us from cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, free radicals, and cancer. Copper is also vital for keeping our skin, blood vessels and connective tissue supple and elastic. These well-documented findings came as a surprise to many whom had been misled to believe that copper should be avoided because it is toxic and can generate free radicals.

Not only is copper relatively non-toxic, but a deficiency of copper raises free-radical activity in our bodies by lowering the activity of many of our endogenous antioxidant peptides like superoxide dismutase, ceuloplasmin, and gluthathione peroxi dase. Other than the fact that the majority of us do not consume even half of the recommended 2-3 milligrams of copper daily, research showing a negative effect of both zinc and ascorbic acid supplements on copper status was alarming for supplement users. While severe, chronic copper deficiency results in anemia, leukopenia, and skeletal demineralization, subclinical copper deficiency in adult animals is hard to detect.
-Vitamin Research Products, Inc.
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Vitamin Research Products

Physicians remain somewhat skeptical about bracelets but don't entirely dismiss them, either. "I see people wearing copper bracelets, and they're wearing them because it helps them," says Elson Haas, M.D. "I think copper may have a role. It's possible that a copper deficiency does increase joint inflammation, and it doesn't seem that supplementing copper in the diet has the same effect as wearing it."

Does that make Dr. Haas a believer? "I don't necessarily supply copper bracelets to people, but I don't discourage them from wearing one either."
-The Doctors Book of Home Remedies
Copyright 1990 Rodale Press Inc.; p.22

Chlorine Can Cause Cancer
"Long-term drinking of chlorinated water appears to increase a person's risk of developing bladder cancer as much as 80%", according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Some 45,000 Americans are diagnosed every year with bladder cancer.
-St. Paul Dispatch & Pioneer Press
December 17, 1987

Chlorine Can Cause Asthma
A careful study published in the June 2003 issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine demonstrated a downside of chlorines. The layer of chlorine gases hovering just above the pool water has the potential to damage the lungs and cause asthma if the levels are high enough. The chlorine that stings the eyes can also 'sting' the sensitive tissue of the lungs. Children, whose lungs are still developing, are especially at risk.
-Published at WebMD.com

On Your Body
Chlorine and other chemicals in pool water can cause extreme skin dehydration, can wreak havoc on your hair, and can do nasty things to permed or color-treated locks. "If you do a lot of swimming in chlorine-filled pools, you have to take even more precautions," according to Dr. Nelson Lee Novick, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. "Immediately after leaving the pool, rinse off your body in cool water and apply a moisturizer."

Chlorine As A Weapon
The same chemical that kills bacteria in public water systems can be a weapon when used in high concentrations. Chlorine was the first chemical weapon used effectively in war -- in World War I. It is green-yellow in color and smells like bleach. It is a choking agent that irritates the eyes, nose, and respiratory tract. Symptoms of chlorine poisoning appear as a runny nose, coughing, choking, and chest pain. Fluid buildup in the lungs occurs several hours after exposure. Pneumonia can follow.