Anticarcinogen additive for water supplies

#This invention relates to a safe and effective chemical means for preventing the development of carcinogens produced by chlorine disinfection of potable water supplies and for destroying preformed carcinogens in a carcinogen contaminated potable water supply.

#There are an infinite number of organic substances commonly contained in natural and waste waters which react rapidly with chlorine to produce toxic compounds some of which are carcinogenic. In a great majority of instances the chemical identification of carcinogens remains to be established, but their presence is presumptively demonstrable by relatively simple chemical and biological tests.

#Recent procedures for identifying some carcinogens are capable of isolating and measuring nomogram quantities of volatile and semi-volatile organic materials in water. These procedures have successfully indicated the presence of organochlorine compounds and some brominated hydrocarbons in the tap water of numerous cities. Details for the chromatographic technique involved in these procedures are available from various Environmental Protection Agency laboratories located in several cities.

#The following examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the present invention in the prevention of formation of carcinogens and the deactivation of carcinogens.

#Epithelial exfoliation is accomplished by rubbing the skin of the forearm vigorously and collecting the cells as they are shed into a shallow dish. To the desquamated cells, a water solution containing calcium hypochlorite such as to register 2 ppm of free chlorine, measured by conventional orthotolidine colorimetry, is added to the cells. After overnight rest, the solution tested for carcinogens shows a positive test and may be concentrated to give a ++++ acridine test paper reaction. Adding 2.5 ppm ascorbic acid to the carcinogen containing solution extinguishes the test and completely destroys the carcinogens.

#This is the reverse of Example I, and proceeds as follows: the epithelial cell suspension is treated with ascorbic acid, using a level of 2.5 ppm. Addition of calcium hypochlorite to furnish a level of 2 ppm of available chlorine, colorimetrically measured with orthotolidine, fails to develop a positive acridine test and fails to kill paramecia. Ascorbic acid has prevented the development of carcinogens.