Health Day (consumer.healthday.com) – Tap-Water Chemical May Be Linked to Food Allergy – By Mary Elizabeth Dallas – (Monday, December 03, 2012)-
Certain chemicals used to purify tap water may play a role in the development of food allergies, a new study suggests.
Researchers from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) noted that the chemicals, known as dichlorophenols, are also used to make pesticides and may be found in treated fruits and vegetables.
While the study could not prove a cause-and-effect relationship, it suggests “that high levels of dichlorophenol-containing pesticides can possibly weaken food tolerance in some people, causing food allergy,” the study’s lead author, allergist Dr. Elina Jerschow, explained in an ACAAI news release. “This chemical is commonly found in pesticides used by farmers and consumer insect and weed-control products, as well as tap water.”
