Background and Aim: Disinfection of surface waters is often done to destroy pathogenic organisms present in water bodies in order to render water safe for consumption. But chlorination of drinking waters has been debated as being toxic to experimental animals including man. The aim of this work was to investigate using biochemical techniques whether disinfection of drinking water by chlorination is harmful or not. Materials and Methods: The materials used were water, calcium hypochlorite, Pig’s spleen, zinc sulphate and reduced glutathione. The water sample was obtained from river Jama’are in Bauchi state, and its quality assessed by estimation of temperature, pH, total dissolved solids, total hardness, Cl-, SO32-, Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ contents. The water sample was chlorinated using calcium hypochlorite (65-70% Cl2). DNA was isolated from Pig’s spleen and used as a model to test the direct effect of the chlorinated water sample on animal health. The effect was monitored spectrophotometrically. The effect of the chlorinated water sample on the biomolecule was also studied in the presence of zinc sulphate and glutathione (GSH). This was compared with that of a control experiment. Results: The results revealed that the chlorinated water sample altered the native structure of the isolated DNA. But in the presence of 0.1mM zinc sulphate and varied concentrations of GSH (0.1mM, 0.2mM and 0.3mM respectively) the chlorinated sample was found to have no noticeable effect on the isolated biomolecule; a pointer that Zn and GSH may have conjugated with chlorinated water products and detoxified them. Conclusion: It is suggested that drinking of chlorinated water is not harmful to health.
Keywords: Chlorination, DNA, Glutathione, Health, Pig, Water, Zinc
