Where It Comes From
Made by combining chlorine and ammonia during water treatment; also forms if bleach and ammonia cleaners are mixed [1][3].
How You Are Exposed
Mainly from drinking tap water; smaller amounts from breathing water vapor/aerosols, especially around heated water or poorly ventilated indoor pools where related chloramines build up [1][4].
Why It Matters
Short-term exposure can cause eye, nose, throat irritation and asthma-like symptoms; chloramine must be removed from dialysis water to prevent hemolysis; it’s highly toxic to fish [4][5][1].
Who Is at Risk
People on hemodialysis, those with asthma or respiratory conditions, indoor pool workers/swimmers, and aquarium owners [4][5][1].
How to Lower Your Exposure
Don’t mix bleach with ammonia; ventilate well when cleaning [3]. For drinking water, consider certified carbon or reverse osmosis filters; boiling or letting water sit won’t remove chloramine [1][2]. Keep indoor pools well ventilated and shower before swimming to reduce chloramine formation [4]. Use appropriate dechlorination for aquariums; follow medical guidance for dialysis [1][5].
References
- [1]U.S. EPA. Basic Information about Chloramines in Drinking Water.
- [2]WHO. Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (Monochloramine), 4th ed. (updates).
- [3]ATSDR. Ammonia ToxFAQs – mixing ammonia with bleach can create toxic chloramine gases.
- [4]CDC. Healthy Swimming: Chloramines and Pool Operation/Pool Smell.
- [5]CDC MMWR. Hemolysis in Hemodialysis Patients Exposed to Chloramine in Municipal Water (1996).